Garlic Mustard as a Medicinal Plant: Tips for Foraging & Use

Garlic Mustard: What You Need to Know About This Herb

This wild herb is native to large parts of Europe and North Africa. Despite its name, garlic mustard is not actually related to garlic. It belongs to the mustard family (Brassicaceae), which you can recognise by its flowers, and forms its own genus, Alliaria. The plant is perennial and hardy, though all above-ground parts die back in winter.

Where Does Garlic Mustard Grow?

Garlic mustard is native to Europe and can be found almost everywhere from March onwards, especially in forests, along pathways, and near stream banks. It prefers wooded, partially shaded, and nutrient-rich locations.

Garlic Mustard: Medicinal Benefits & Uses

Garlic mustard is entirely edible: you can use the young leaves, shoots, and flowers either fresh or dried. The roots and seeds are also edible.

Helps with Inflammation and Colds

With its mustard-like, slightly pungent flavour, this wild herb is reminiscent of wild garlic. This taste comes from the glucosinolates found in all plants of the mustard family, which offer numerous health benefits. They help with respiratory and bladder infections, combat inflammation and mucus build-up, and support the immune system. A tea made from garlic mustard can soothe sore throats or bladder infections. However, its use as a medicinal plant has fallen out of favour over time, leaving it largely forgotten today.

Garlic Mustard for Detox and Wound Healing

Garlic mustard is rich in vitamins A and C, as well as trace elements, saponins, and tannins. The tannins support detoxification by promoting diuresis, cleansing the blood, and stimulating digestion — a common benefit of many spring herbs, which naturally aid the body’s detox processes. Saponins, on the other hand, have anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and wound-healing properties, making garlic mustard tea a useful option for wound dressings as well.

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Garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) in bloom.

Identifying & Foraging Garlic Mustard

Garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) in bloom.

You can harvest the first young leaves from March or April until around June, depending on the location. Garlic mustard is a herbaceous plant that grows between 20 and 100 cm/7.9 and 39.4 in tall. It develops a square-shaped main stem, which can be slightly hairy near the base.

The leaves grow alternately along the stem. Garlic mustard is easy to identify by its slightly heart-shaped, hairless leaves with serrated edges. The heart shape is created by a small indentation where the leaf meets the stem. Thanks to its high content of mustard oil glycosides, the leaves have a distinctive garlic-like scent: sharp and pungent.

When Does Garlic Mustard Bloom?

Between April and August, garlic mustard produces small white flowers. These cruciform flowers have four petals arranged in the shape of a cross. The plant remains edible and safe to eat even during and after flowering — you can even harvest and enjoy the flowers!

Risk of Confusion with Ground Ivy & Stinging Nettle

Inexperienced herb foragers often mistake garlic mustard for ground ivy or stinging nettles. Distinguishing it from stinging nettles is quite simple: garlic mustard leaves don’t sting when touched.

Ground ivy (Glechoma hederacea) has a similar leaf shape.

Confusion with Ground Ivy

Ground ivy (Glechoma hederacea) has a similar leaf shape.

Ground ivy (Glechoma hederacea) has similarly shaped leaves but grows differently. It grows along a trailing stem with opposite leaf arrangement, while garlic mustard leaves grow alternately. During the flowering period, the difference is even clearer: ground ivy has purple, lip-shaped flowers, while garlic mustard has white, cross-shaped flowers. Luckily, confusing the two isn’t a problem — both are healthy wild plants that can be used fresh or dried.

Food Source and Nesting Site for Orange-tip Butterflies

The larvae of the orange-tip butterfly (Anthocharis cardamines) love the juicy leaves and seeds of garlic mustard. In general, this butterfly is fond of plants from the mustard family, with garlic mustard and cuckooflower (Cardamine pratensis) being among its favourites. Adult butterflies enjoy the nectar of these plants as well as other crucifers, such as annual honesty (Lunaria annua) and dame's violet (Hesperis matronalis). All in all, garlic mustard is a fantastic plant for supporting this species.

Orange-tip butterflies are a beautiful sight and are commonly found in many areas. You’ve probably seen one before — and if not, now's the perfect time to start looking out for them. You’ll most likely spot them in dry, nutrient-poor to damp meadows or in light, open woodlands.

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Cover Image by SimoneVomFeld on Pixabay.