Garlic Mustard
Given Name: Alliaria petiolata
Nicknames: lic-root, garlicwort, hedge-garlic, Jack-by-the-hedge, Jack-in-the-bush, mustard-root, poor-man's-mustard, sauce-alone
I used to be kept on a tight leash. Where I'm from in Eurasia and Northern Africa, nature completely controlled me.
In Europe, I was kept in check by at least 69 insects that munched my leaves, stems and seeds and several herbivores that relied on me for food.
I had no choice but to obey the rules of the land. I didn't have much freedom, but I knew where I fit in and I accepted my role in that ecosystem.
But then people brought me to a new place called North America where I didn't know the rules. In fact, it seemed like there were no rules. None of the insects or animals ate me, the white-tailed deer cleared the way for me to spread by eating the native plants and even the people, who had eaten me and used me for medicine, forgot all about about me.
I had boundless freedom in this new place. So was I going to take advantage of that? Of course!
I spread and spread and spread. Because I can grow in both sun and shade, I took over undisturbed woodlands, forest edges, riverbanks and roadsides. And then I spread some more.
As of 1991, I was spreading at a rate of 6400 square kilometres per year!
At first it felt really good to be out on my own with no rules to follow. I could do whatever I wanted to, whenever I wanted to without worrying about being eaten. But then I realized that nobody was paying attention to me, that nobody seemed to care.
I started to miss the rules that kept me in check. At least those rues had meant I was part of something bigger than myself. At least they had meant that other species had relied me- that I mattered.
Now, without any boundaries, I feel lost. I just keep searching and searching for my place here. Where do I fit? Maybe here? Or there? If I take over this woodland, will someone notice me? Will someone eat me if I out-compete the trilliums and trout lilies? But no matter where I go or what I do, the other species ignore me. And you know what's worse? People blame me for this mess!
I didn't ask to come North America! People did this to me! You brought me to this place for food, medicine and erosion control and then let me loose.
So it's time that you stop hating me and, instead, show me some tough love: please give me some rules to follow. You can start by eating me- it's that simple! Slow down my spread by pulling me up by my roots and making some tasty food.
My roots taste like horseradish and my leaves, which are high in vitamins A and C, make an excellent garlic-flavoured pesto!
In fact, tell all your friends to eat me too! Remember I'm used to being devoured by the insects and herbivores back in Europe, so you folks need to eat a lot of me!
But no matter how much you like my flavour, don't you dare plant me. Don't encourage my unhealthy, invasive behaviour!
Please keep me in check,
Discontented Garlic Mustard
References:
Alliaria petiolata (n.d.). Plants for a Future. https://pfaf.org/user/plant.aspx?LatinName=Alliaria+petiolata
Cortat, G. (2019, Novermber 3). Alliaria petiolata (garlic mustard). Invasive Species Compodium. CABI.https://www.cabi.org/isc/datasheet/3941
Garlic Mustard (2019, December 10). Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources ad Forestry. https://www.ontario.ca/page/garlic-mustard
Garlic Mustard: A goldmine of food and medicine (n.d.). Chelsea Green Publishing. https://www.chelseagreen.com/2020/garlic-mustard/
Rodgers, V.L., Stinson,K.A., Finzi, A.C.. Ready or Not, Garlic Mustard Is Moving In: Alliaria petiolata as a Member of Eastern North American Forests, BioScience, Volume 58, Issue 5, May 2008, Pages 426–436, https://doi.org/10.1641/B580510
so yummy