Garlic Mustard is blooming all over our area - in yards, ditches, fields and woods. Pull it up! This plant poses a severe threat to native plants and animals in forest communities in the eastern U.S. Many native widlflowers grow in the same habitat as garlic mustard, which out-competes native plants by aggressively taking light, moisture, nutrients, soil and space. Wildlife that depend on these early plants for their foliage, pollen, nectar, fruits, seeds and roots are deprived of these essential food sources when garlic mustard replaces them. People are also deprived of beautiful spring wildflowers. Care must be taken to remove the plant with its entire root system because new plants can sprout from root fragments. Grasp low and firmly on the plant and tug gently until the main root loosens from the soil and the entire plant pulls out. Photo by Trix Niernberger.
