Wild Edible Garlic Mustard

Garlic Mustard: Alliaria petiolata

Garlic mustard is an invasive weed and prevalent in much of the United States.  It is a biennial flowering plant which means it grows two years.  The first year it grows as a low forming rosette of leaves and stems.  The second year it grows tall (3-4 feet) and blooms.  The leaves are edible both years and make excellent flavor additions to a variety of dishes.  It has a heavy garlic taste and flavors other cooked greens and soups very well.  It has heart shaped deeply veined leaves.  It also has an amazing ability to photosynthesize even in very cold temperatures.  Garlic mustard is one of the first wild edibles to pop up in the spring and can even be found in mild winter months.