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Annual Biennial

Alliaria petiolata

garlic mustard

A hairy biennial herb, which can be variable in height; is usually unbranched and bears heart to kidney-shaped toothed green leaves that emit a pungent garlic odour especially when crushed. Flowers are white from 3-5mm in diameter and born in terminal clusters. Seed capsules are long and slender from 20-70mm in length

Other common names

Jack-by-the-hedge
garlic root
see moregarlic wort
hedge garlic
hedge mustard
poor man's mustard
sauce-alone
garlleg y berth

Synonyms

Alliaria officinalis
Sisymbrium alliaria

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Ultimate height

0.5–1 metres

Time to ultimate height

1–2 years

Ultimate spread

0.1–0.5 metres

Chalk

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Moist but well–drained

pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full shade
Partial shade

Aspect

East–facing or North–facing or West–facing

Exposure

Exposed or Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Brassicaceae
Native to GB / Ireland: Yes
Foliage: Evergreen
Habit: Bushy
Genus: Alliaria can be annuals, biennials or perennials, with garlic-scented, ovate or heart-shaped leaves and racemes of small, white, 4-petalled flowers in spring
Name status: Correct

How to grow

Cultivation

Prefers a rich damp alluvial soil, thriving in damp shady places where few other herbs will grow. A good woodland-edge and hedgerow plant, the plant emits a strong smell of garlic which is especially pronounced if the leaves are bruised. This species is an important food source for the orange-tip and green-veined-white butterflies

Propagation

Propagate by seed as soon as ripe. If sowing in situ, it is best to sow in autumn as it requires a long period of chilling to break dormancy

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Wildlife gardens

Pruning

No pruning required

Pests

Susceptible to caterpillar damage

Diseases

Generally disease-free

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