Barbara Waters, Larry Kupferman, and myself, met with trailhead staff Sophie and SB Rec. Director Todd Goodwin, at the main entry/ticket booth at 9 a.m. on Saturday, June 7, for Garlic Mustard (invasive plant) removal to help improve the walking trails and wildlife habitat, plus meet people with similar interests.
From left to right, Sophie, Todd, Larry.
I neglected to take photos of the site were we were picking the Garlic Mustard plants just outside the fence at the edge of the park. However I did take the photos below, of Garlic Mustard growing along Centennial Brook behind Kirby Road.
The photos below show the bags of Garlic Mustard the four of us pulled from Red Rocks Park.
For more info. on Garlic Mustard View:
Excerpt from BFP article. "The success of garlic mustard is amplified by chemical warfare. To ensure distastefulness, the leaves contain cyanide, insufficient to harm people but enough to knock down insects. Its roots exude compounds called glucosinolates that prevent other species’ seeds from germinating and kill beneficial soil fungi. Since native trees depend on root associations with fungi for growth, killing fungi enables garlic mustard to outcompete hardwood tree seedlings."
More on the detriments of Garlic Mustard Plants. from the Global Garlic Mustard Field Survy. "One of the most problematic exotic weeds in the U.S. is the European herb garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata). It dominates deciduous forests where it outcompetes native understory species and limits tree establishment (McCarthy 1997, Stinson et al. 2006, 2007). Despite the quantification of impacts and abundance at a few locations, relatively few data exist on the abundance and performance of this species across its native and introduced ranges, limiting our ability to make informed management decisions."
To Pull Or Not To Pull: Research Questions Garlic Mustard Control
Hand pulling
works really well with a group of people and determination beginning in the
spring. Avoid pulling the plant while it is in seed, since moving the plant
could cause the seed pods to break and seeds to spread, but resume pulling in
the fall.
It is important to have a search image for
the plant, which has leaves year round. Native violets and non-native dame’s
rocket can be mistaken for garlic mustard. An easy test is to crush the leaves;
garlic mustard will smell like garlic. Its flowers are also distinctive. The
New York Invasive Species Clearing House website advises that control works
best on small areas or new invasions.
If you can’t get rid of your garlic mustard,
you might as well emulate the early settlers and eat it. Alison Coluccio of
Ithaca said her 12-year old daughter loves garlic mustard, which she makes into
a great pesto. Recipes can be found on the Internet.
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