Why is it a problem? Contact Us ’s vegetative growth starts If you have questions about garlic mustard or early in the spring, outcompeting native and other noxious weeds, we can help. Please contact beneficial species that are still dormant. Its us at: ability to reproduce high quantities of from a single plant can make it difficult to eradicate WA State Noxious Weed Control Board once it is well-established. P.O. Box 42560 can survive a number of years in the Olympia, WA 98504 seedbank, prolonging its ability to dominate 360-725-5764 a site. Garlic mustard also changes the http://www.nwcb.wa.gov composition of a plant community by exuding Email: [email protected] chemicals that disrupt plant growth and certain Or contact your local county noxious weed plant-mycorrhizal fungi connections, which are control board: important for tree seedling health.

Garlic mustard rosettes growing in the spring.

Noxious Weeds in Washington “Noxious weed” means a plant that when established is highly destructive, competitive, or difficult to control by cultural or chemical practices. RCW 17.10.10 Noxious weeds reduce crop yields, destroy native plant and animal habitat, damage recreational Garlic Mustard opportunities, clog waterways, lower land values, and poison or harm people and livestock. Alliaria petiolata Garlic mustard is a Class A noxious weed in Washington State. Eradication is mandatory A high-priority noxious everywhere. Check with your local county noxious weed control board or extension office to weed in Washington learn more about this and other noxious weeds. Cover image: Frances Lucero, King County NWCB King County NWCB County King A number of herbicides are A number of herbicides are Herbicide: Apply garlic mustard. controlling for available prior plants in the spring or fall or to rosettes to have that plants and bag Remove flowering. to as herbicideat that applied flowered already seed production. Always time will not stop applying any the label instructionsread before Check and timing. rate proper herbicides for board weed noxious local county with your Weed Management Northwest and the Pacific for Handbook http://pnwhandbooks.org/weed/ recommendations. specific herbicide it is very important initial control, After to seedlings any and control site your monitor Garlic seeds can survive mustard and resprouts. plants Since a number of years. in the soil for can startplant one a new can self-pollinate, with non- areas plant to Make sure infestation. and competition provide to plants invasive establishing. from other weeds prevent Make sure to remove the roots when hand- pulling the roots remove to sure Make garlic mustard.

Frances Lucero, KCNWCB Bagged garlic ready plants mustard disposal. for Control Where does it grow? does Where . Garlic mustard plants can be successfully successfully can be plants hand-pulling. by controlled the remove to Make sure left as roots in the roots, Pull soil can resprout. they develop before plants If already plants seeds. or seed pods, flowers have bag them and carefully put them in the trash. not is generally Mowing control for recommended can quickly cuts stems since and flower. resprout be chips can also Mulching: Mulching with wood germination smother seeds and supress used to Layering control. after initial garlic mustard is under the woodchips or newspaper cardboard ground bare ensure to an additional helpful step chips as Replenishis not left wood exposed. seedlings and for the area needed and monitor resprouts Garlic mustard eradication is required in is required Garlic eradication mustard control recommended these Use Washington. to Be sure land. your it from eradicate methods to prevent and shoes to equipment clean vehicles, new sites. seeds to moving Manual: Garlic mustard is commonly found in forested forested in found Garlic is commonly mustard understory It urban including parks. areas can tracks, railroad trails, on roadsides, also grow floodplains. slopes and It fields, streambanks, stable in disturbed both and relatively thrives shaded conditions. or in sunny growing sites, in western found be only Garlic used to mustard infestations years recent but in Washington, east of the Cascade also been discovered have should be on Washington in Everyone Mountains. weed. Class A noxious this the lookout for

Frances Lucero, KCNWCB Frances Lucero, KCNWCB Lucero, Frances Okanogan NWCB County Identification

It develops a white, It a white, develops that taproot, narrow shape ‘S’ an often forms crown. the plant’s below start Plants as a rosette of -shaped leaves with scalloped edges. bolt In stems early spring, Stems tall. 3.25 feet to triangular alternate, have heart-shaped to leaves wavy- with coarsely edges. toothed in clusters form Flowers blooming tips, stem at are Flowers April-June. with 4 petals and 6 white stamens. Seed pods (siliques) are out spreading narrow, up and curving upward, inches long. 2.4 to

• • • • • when crushed, especially when young. when young. especially when crushed, and stems. Plants parts a garlic Plants smell can have and stems. lived perennial with few to no hairs on its leaves leaves on its no hairs to few with perennial lived Garlic mustard is an annual, biennial or short- or biennial Garlic is an annual, mustard