May 5, 2007
Uninvited Guest: Garlic Mustard, Allaria petiolata
Although its shiny toothed leaves and small white flowers look somewhat attractive in the spring, this plant is considered one of the most destructive invasive alien species in the eastern United States. The plants sprout early and can grow so densely that they choke out other woodland plants. They also produce a chemical that destroys the mycorrhizal fungi in the soil, on which native trees such as the oaks depend for nutrients.