A PSA: Pull this weed

[urbpan]

I like weeds. Weeds grow where no one intended. Many of them grow where no one thought they could, in a pavement crack, in the crotch of a tree, in sand, in gravel, out of a brick wall. Weeds are where nature scoffs at man's attempt to quell life.

Weeds thrive in humanity's wake. By definition, they are the plants that succeed in the conditions created by civilization. Sometimes, however, this effect is destructive, and desirable plants suffer, disappear, and even go extinct.

Most weeds are successful because they are pioneer plants that take advantage of recently cleared ground, in bright sunlight in the space where a tree has fallen or a forest has burned, or on the spare soil on new lava or exposed stone. They grow and die, and other, taller plants grow in, and the weeds are unable to grow in the shade that the taller plants create. Unless the weed is garlic mustard.

Garlic mustard can grow in the deep shade of a forest. And when it does, it grows in thick groups that often allow no other plant species. Studies suggest that garlic mustard produces a chemical that kills soil fungi that are beneficial to other plants, stacking the deck against competitors. This is scary for fans of native wildflowers, especially orchids, which have obligate symbiosis with soil fungi. It's not yet clear if garlic mustard will also kill mushroom producing fungi, but it seems likely.

If you are somewhere other than Europe (where garlic mustard is native) and you see the weed pictured above, please pull it out. You will need to pull it carefully and thoroughly to get the long taproot out (see below). If you leave the root behind, the plant will regrow. If you are in North America, this plant should be up, and in most places it will be producing its four petaled white flowers--probably the first wildflowers of the year. (http://urbpan.livejournal.com/262586.html) Pull it out, and resist the temptation to compost it, at least for a little while. The plant will grow from your compost heap and reproduce. To stop it, it has to be thrown away, in the garbage. You can pull it, and place it in a trash bag, and after two or three weeks without light it will die, and then it can be composted.

It can also be eaten. The leaves smell and taste garlicky, and I've heard good things about garlic mustard pesto. Eat it, dispose of it, compost it, but please, if you see it, pull it.

Comments

[tsunami-ryuu.livejournal.com]

Good PSA. Garlic mustard's a pain and a threat to native plants. My school's environmental studies department has done quite a bit of research (some still ongoing, I believe) on garlic mustard and its ecology, especially in relation to wildflowers. I may well deal with garlic mustard studies in next semester's ecology lab.

I'll make a point of pulling out garlic mustard if/when I see it this spring!

[greenelvish.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the PSA. I wish you'd been in my Weed Science class last semester.

On a totally unrelated note, the Weed Science Lab sign was stolen 3 times before they finally bolted it to the building.

[bellelvsbeast.livejournal.com]

Oooh I never would have even known that's a weed! Thanks for the informative PSA! :)

[perspicuity.livejournal.com]

garlic mustard greens salad, boiled, pesto! yar.

dandelions are in season too!

and soon fiddleheads.

hates those invasives - how about an invasive thread? ;) next up: norway maple! talk about persistent!

#

[roaming.livejournal.com]

Damn! That stuff's all over my yard, and I thought (still think) it's got a nice shape, I was happy to see it growing so much, anything green that I don't have to take care of, that survives on it's own -- i.e., weeds -- are fine by me.

You've just added days of work to my spring clean up list! :-< OTOH, I like the taste of garlic! :-)

[droserary.livejournal.com]

I saw only the photo without reading the caption and a chill went down my spine. If there is one plant that I logically have negative feelings for, it would be this one. Well, that and Scotch broom. Every year around this time, I'd gather a group from my college and head down to the college-affiliated watershed park. We'd pull out bags and bags of this weed. I'd delight by lighting a few of them on fire in the parking lot. Oh good times, good times.

[jilder.livejournal.com]

I love that you can eat it to death. Tasty!

Out damned plant.

[ndozo.livejournal.com]

Good post. This is all over the place here. What's your position on herbicide early in the season? I've never used it but there's too much to hand pull. I work on it every day. That and bittersweet.

Re: Out damned plant.

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

I don't know how effective herbicide is against garlic mustard. I'll ask around at work. I wouldn't be against it if it turns out to be effective. We hand-pull because it works on this plant, as opposed to Japanese knotweed for example.

[jolantru.livejournal.com]

Looks like Indian Pennywort (gotu kola).

Good point. If I see it growing here, I will pull it out and probably eat it. ;)

[oaksong.livejournal.com]

Wow-- I didn't realize the damage this plant causes. It's abundant where I live, and one of the first plants to green up in spring (and yes, very tasty). I'm kind of sad to learn it's a bad guy.

[squid-ink.livejournal.com]

if you're really in the mood for some adventerous cooking.. you too can eat the invasives! (http://www.ma-eppc.org/recipes-jan23-06.html) (Garlic Mustard is featured in quite a few recipes)

[shiloho3.livejournal.com]

This stuff grows all over by the Mississippi (which I live a block away from). I've wondered what this was- thank you!

[ms-vanilla.livejournal.com]

It's tasty on a sandwich! You have to get it when its young though, or it goes bitter, so there's a good reason to pull it asap. Wild garlic pesto is superior to garlic mustard imho :)