*Alliaria officinalis Andrz. GARLIC MUSTARD. "Rare. Thoroughly
naturalized and growing in abundance over an extensive area along Cattaraugus
Creek ...," Zenkert (1934). Ontario: 1/2 mile S of Queenston, high land,
Miller (6), May 7, 1952; Queenston Heights, Soper & Shield (4366), May 19,
1950 (82.920), Heimburger (1955).. (As A. officinalis) "[Niagara] Glen,"
sight record, Yaki (1970). DeVeaux College woods, Eckel (1986). Crest of
the Niagara River gorge between Devil's Hole and Whirlpool Steps, with Quercus
rubra, Qu. alba, Tilia Americana, Carya glabra, C. ovalis, Eckel (Nov. 7 2004),
present only in disturbed areas here, such as openings cut down in the crest
vegetation for viewing areas, transported soils and horticultural alterations
in the native habitats.
New York: Crest
of the Niagara River gorge, sub Robert Moses Overpass by the Lower Arch RR
Bridge, weedy, ornamental escape area, shrubby, with Viburnum opulus, Kochia,
Oxybaphus. P.M.Eckel 8703277 May 24, 1986 (BUF); rim
of Niagara River Gorge by the Lower Arch Bridge, upper path. Rather frequent
here, with Parthenocissus, Hydrophyllum canadensis, Rhus typhina , Eckel 1891985 (BUF); Deveaux woods,
Eckel 2253185 (BUF); Goat Island, .
Great dense patches in the sunny margins of mature, shaded Acer
saccharum-Carya woods with Podophyllum, Arisaema, Smilacina stellata, Cornus
alternifolia. Eckel June 8,
1984 (BUF); Lewiston ArtPark woods: back of elevated Scovell's knoll close to
the Niagara River, dense, rich woods: low area, moist. Dense colony.P. M. Eckel
870641 May 5, l986(BUF).
Ontario:
Dufferin Islands, Small colony, one observed,in dryish thickets by bridge in margin
of outer island. Eckel 3353085 (BUF);
Boulder field, shaded woods just upriver from Niagara River entering Whirlpool
basin, above dolomite flats. Throughout rich, moist area, Trillium cernuum,
Asarum canadense, Eckel
8705212 (BUF); Nature Trail area at head of Whirlpool Ravine. Shaded path area,
rich woods, populations seem recent, yet they entend throughout the moist
woods. P.M.Eckel 8705303 May 6, 1986(BUF);
Navy Island, throughout open shores and island margins, Eckel, July 28, 1998
(BUF).
Though not recognized as a noxious weed in
USDA Common Weeds of the United States (1971), nor by Alex & Switzer (no
date), this plant may attain that status yet. Note that it was considered rare
in (1934) (Zenkert 1934) and was first discovered in Toronto in (1879) (Steen
1985). Jocelyn Webber, a botanist interviewed by D. Steen for the Toronto Star,
states "It is a most significant pest .... It's found from Windsor to Barrie,
and is much in evidence in Cooksville. The Royal Botanical Gardens is already
smothered in it .... It apparantly has no natural enemies," Steen (1985).
This plant occurs in all woodland stations in
various degrees. In some areas it is so dense as to appear to compete
drastically with indigenous vegetation ("natural regeneration area"
above Queenston, Ont., along the River); in others, only scattered individuals
occur. It prefers moist, disturbed, semi-shaded woodlands, particularly with weed
trees such as Robinia pseudoacacia, Acer negundo and Acer platanoides. In
suitable areas of natural disturbance, such as in the gorge forests in talus
fields, it affords a carpet of vegetation where no other herbaceous plants have
yet established themselves.
