Invasive Species: Garlic Mustard
An invasive species can be defined as any organism (including the organism’s seeds or eggs) that is not native to an area, but if introduced, can cause harm to the environment, economy, or to humans. These invasive species are usually introduced by humans either intentionally or accidentally and can very quickly and aggressively reproduce and take over an area. Plants that are considered to be invasive have certain characteristics in common that makes them invasive such as: they produce many seeds, grow vigorously, and have few predators or competition for resources (light, water, nutrients, etc.). Garlic mustard is a good example of an invasive plant. Originally brought over from Europe to North America by early European settlers, the herb was used as food and a substitute for garlic, medicinally to treat gangrene and ulcers, and has also been used as a form of erosion control. The first record of garlic mustard in the United States was in Long Island, New York in 1868. In Europe, there are insects and herbivores that have used the plant as a source of food, but the plant is not as …show more content…
Second year plants flower and can grow up to four feet tall with alternating heart shaped leaves with deep veins and jagged edges that have a garlic odor when crushed. The flowers form in clusters of little white petals (four petals). Each flower turns into a seed pod called a silique (one to two and a half inches long). One plant can produce up to 3000 seeds that can stay dormant up to twenty months and are viable for up to five to eight years. These seeds are often spread by wind, water, animals, or humans. According to the Forest Invasive plants Resource Center, garlic mustard mostly grows in “upland and floodplain forests, savannas, urban yards, and along roadsides.” It prefers growing in shaded areas with non-acidic
An invasive species can be defined as any organism (including the organism’s seeds or eggs) that is not native to an area, but if introduced, can cause harm to the environment, economy, or to humans. These invasive species are usually introduced by humans either intentionally or accidentally and can very quickly and aggressively reproduce and take over an area. Plants that are considered to be invasive have certain characteristics in common that makes them invasive such as: they produce many seeds, grow vigorously, and have few predators or competition for resources (light, water, nutrients, etc.). Garlic mustard is a good example of an invasive plant. Originally brought over from Europe to North America by early European settlers, the herb was used as food and a substitute for garlic, medicinally to treat gangrene and ulcers, and has also been used as a form of erosion control. The first record of garlic mustard in the United States was in Long Island, New York in 1868. In Europe, there are insects and herbivores that have used the plant as a source of food, but the plant is not as …show more content…
Second year plants flower and can grow up to four feet tall with alternating heart shaped leaves with deep veins and jagged edges that have a garlic odor when crushed. The flowers form in clusters of little white petals (four petals). Each flower turns into a seed pod called a silique (one to two and a half inches long). One plant can produce up to 3000 seeds that can stay dormant up to twenty months and are viable for up to five to eight years. These seeds are often spread by wind, water, animals, or humans. According to the Forest Invasive plants Resource Center, garlic mustard mostly grows in “upland and floodplain forests, savannas, urban yards, and along roadsides.” It prefers growing in shaded areas with non-acidic