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Origin
Alliaria petiolata was introduced to the United States from Europe by early settlers. It was used as a vegetable for its high vitamin A and C content and planted to prevent erosion.
Known Distribution
Garlic mustard is widely distributed from eastern Canada to southern Georgia and as far west as Kansas and Nebraska.
Habitat
This invasive mustard is found in a wide range of disturbed habitats such as roadsides, floodplains and forest edges. Garlic mustard does not tolerate highly acidic soils.
Ecology
Deer often forage on native plant species leaving invasive garlic mustard untouched. This aids garlic mustard in displacing native spring flowers such as spring beauty (Claytonia virginica), wild ginger (Asarum canadense), bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis), dutchman’s breeches (Dicentra cucullaria), toothworts (Dentaria sp.), and trilliums (Trillium sp.). Garlic mustard is attributed with the decline of the West Virginia white butterfly (Pieris virginiensis) as its chemicals are toxic to the butterfly eggs.
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