Garlic Mustard

Alliaria petiolata

Found in moist forests in bottomlands and on slopes. FloraQuest, phone app (app page) What its natural habitat tells you

-85

Severe harm

Not native to Virginia. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 71%

Height: Mature plants produce erect flowering stems up to 4.13 feet high [15].
Light: Deep shade, Partial shade
Soil moisture: Usually moist

Alliaria petiolata — flower photograph — (c) Quinten Wiegersma, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY 4.0 · Original photograph

Do not plant. Listed invasive in Virginia.

At a glance

Life cycle: Biennial
Bloom: April to June
Fruiting season: May to June

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Not yet recorded · Spread · Leaves

Recorded in 67 Virginia counties.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

1 of 2

Regional / representative. Shown: Mountains of North and South Carolina; exact site not identified, a neighboring state.Shortia beneath rhododendrons in mountain woodland, Marian Ellis Rowan, 1901. Public domain. Source record.

Floodplain and bottomland forests

Forests on low ground beside rivers and streams that flood from time to time.

All habitats

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Virginia. Shared habitat, not food. 151 animals.

Belted Kingfisher
Megaceryle alcyon
Birds. 8 shared habitats
Chimney Swift
Chaetura pelagica
Birds. 8 shared habitats
Common Nighthawk
Chordeiles minor
Birds. 8 shared habitats
Eastern Kingbird
Tyrannus tyrannus
Birds. 8 shared habitats
European Starling
Sturnus vulgaris
Birds. 8 shared habitats
Great Horned Owl
Bubo virginianus
Birds. 8 shared habitats
Mourning Dove
Zenaida macroura
Birds. 8 shared habitats
Red-tailed Hawk
Buteo jamaicensis
Birds. 8 shared habitats
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Accipiter striatus
Birds. 8 shared habitats
Turkey Vulture
Cathartes aura
Birds. 8 shared habitats
Acadian Flycatcher
Empidonax virescens
Birds. 7 shared habitats
American Crow
Corvus brachyrhynchos
Birds. 7 shared habitats
American Goldfinch
Carduelis tristis
Birds. 7 shared habitats
American Redstart
Setophaga ruticilla
Birds. 7 shared habitats
American Robin
Turdus migratorius
Birds. 7 shared habitats
Bald Eagle
Haliaeetus leucocephalus
Birds. 7 shared habitats
Black-and-White Warbler
Mniotilta varia
Birds. 7 shared habitats
Blue Grosbeak
Passerina caerulea
Birds. 7 shared habitats
Blue Jay
Cyanocitta cristata
Birds. 7 shared habitats
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Polioptila caerulea
Birds. 7 shared habitats
Brown Creeper
Certhia americana
Birds. 7 shared habitats
Carolina Wren
Thryothorus ludovicianus
Birds. 7 shared habitats
Cedar Waxwing
Bombycilla cedrorum
Birds. 7 shared habitats
Common Yellowthroat
Geothlypis trichas
Birds. 7 shared habitats

All wildlife of Virginia

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

—CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including VA

—BeesSoutheastern regional records

1Specialist beesPollen specialists

Pollen specialists · Alliaria

Andrena arabis

Smith, Bachelder, Russell, Morales, Mosher & Seltmann 2024, Bee-Specialization-Modeling v0.6.1 (specialist host table compiled from J. Fowler's pollen specialist bee lists), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0

—BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family: Brassicaceae
Hardiness: Zones 6a–8b
Soil pH: Acidic to alkaline
Flower color: White
Fruit begins: May
Fruit ends: June

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope

Bloom · “April to June” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), phone app (app page) · Carolinas and Georgia
Flower color · “White” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Fruit begins · “May” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), phone app (app page) · Carolinas and Georgia
Fruit ends · “June” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), phone app (app page) · Carolinas and Georgia
Hardiness · “Zones 6a–8b” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Height · “Mature plants produce erect flowering stems up to 4.13 feet (1.25 m) high [15].” · Fire Effects Information System: Alliaria petiolata (ranked first; Minnesota Wildflowers differs) · Source botanical description; original units and scope retained
Life cycle · “Biennial” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Light · “Deep shade (less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight); Partial shade (direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
primary_flower_color · “white” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Soil · “Moist; Occasionally wet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Soil pH · “Acidic to alkaline” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox

Conservation status

Virginia rank	SNA
Global rank	GNR
VA status	Not verified
Federal status	Not verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

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