The arrival of warm weather has many Ontario residents thinking about gardening season, but your outdoor spaces may already be harbouring a dangerous invasive species known as garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata).
But, while this species is capable of choking out native plant life and causing widespread ecological damage, you can do your part by incorporating invasive garlic mustard into a tasty dish.
People will say you can’t make your problems go away by shoveling in more calories, but this might actually be one instance of a problem we can literally eat our way to fixing.
What is garlic mustard and how did it get here?
As its name suggests, the plant is an edible herb that offers up a distinctive smell similar to garlic when crushed, though it was this very culinary use that directly led to the havoc this invasive weed is now wreaking on Ontario’s natural ecosystems.
First introduced to North America from Europe in the 1800s, the plant quickly made the leap from garden pots to the wild, where it has established itself as one of the province’s most problematic and “aggressive forest invaders,” displacing native wildflowers and plants as it spreads.
How to identify garlic mustard in the wild
Garlic mustard’s most distinguishing characteristic is its smell when crushed, but I don’t recommend you go grinding random leaves in the forest on your hunt for this tasty herb.
Sightings typically begin in late March and peak in April, but it’s important to know what you are looking for.
The plant has two distinct life stages in its early years, so there are a few different things to look for.
Young plants in their first year of growth will only present as clusters of dark green, kidney-shaped leaves with scalloped edges, though this stage of life is just an appetizer of what comes next as a root system develops out of sight below ground.
Second-year plants will grow at impressive paces and can quickly reach heights exceeding one metre. In this ‘adult’ phase, the plants develop sharply-toothed leaves.
White flowers will typically bloom from the leaf clusters in May, making the plants slightly more straightforward to identify at a glance.
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Native plant life has no chance
It’s this ability to grow exponentially in such short periods that makes garlic mustard such a threat to local plant life. A garlic mustard plant is capable of doubling in size every four years, and can still sprout even after 30 years.
They are also highly resistant to harsh conditions and are known to thrive in pretty much any environment in which they can take root.
Between these factors, garlic mustard infestations can be particularly challenging to manage, and the plant will outcompete native species, while its interference with local species of fungi can further hinder plant and insect life.
The provincial government states that the plant threatens several of Ontario’s species at risk, including American ginseng, drooping trillium, Eastern false rue-anemone, hoary mountain mint, white wood aster, wild hyacinth, and wood poppy.
It’s also toxic to larvae of rare butterfly species that lay eggs on plants in the mustard family via chemicals that they are not naturally adapted to.
Do your part
You can help Ontario ecosystems and also hone your culinary skills by doing your part to curb the scourge of garlic mustard.
The species is of negligible nutritional value to native wildlife, but it does make for a tasty and abundant ingredient during these times of runaway food prices and unprecedented economic uncertainty.
Aside from its distinctive garlic flavour, the species is high in both vitamins A and C, though you’ll have to take precautions if you want to work this plant into your weekly meal prep.
Perhaps most importantly, harvesters should take extra care to remove the entire plant — root and all — as merely picking the leaves allows the invasive species to further spread.
Potent poisons and proper preparation
Younger plants are the ones you will want to seek out, as older garlic mustard plants need to be cooked thoroughly before eating due to cyanide that builds up within them as they age.
First-year garlic mustard plants contain up to 100 parts per million of cyanide, a strong enough level to be considered toxic. Chopping up these young plants releases the cyanide and makes them perfectly fit for consumption.
It is also not recommended to forage garlic mustard from public areas as plants may have been sprayed with harmful pesticides, so it’s probably best to play it safe and only eat plants growing on your own property.
