May 6, 2006
Garlic Mustard, Allaria officinalis
The bad reputation of this invasive non-native biennial weed has become even worse. Its ability to outgrow and crowd out native wildflowers is well known. Recent studies by Kristina Stinson, Research Associate at the Harvard Forest in Petersham, Mass., indicate that trees suffer from the presence of garlic mustard around their roots. The weed produces chemicals that kill the mycorrhizal fungi in the soil that help trees and other plants take up nutrients.