An Aggressive Invasive Plant Is In Ontario And You Can Help By Eating It

Ontario has its share of invasive plants, from the absolute menace that is giant hogweed, a dangerous plant that can cause third-degree burns if your skin comes in contact with the sap, and the European Norway maple, which is a concern for native species including Canada’s iconic sugar maple trees.

Typically the best option for you to removing these invasive species is to report them or hire a professional to tackle them; especially the more dangerous varieties.

But for one particular invasive species there is another way to help. When it comes to the plant called garlic mustard, an invasive and ‘aggressive forest invader’ that’s overtaking green spaces., the best way you can remove it is to eat it.

You might find it in any location, from wildlands, to your own neighbourhood. In its first year of growth, the plant is fairly inconspicuous. But by the second year, it can grow up to a metre high. It is especially noticeable this time of year due to the small white flowers it produces in April and May.

Garlic mustard threatens several native species, the Government of Ontario says on its website, including American ginseng, drooping trillium, false rue-anemone, hoary mountain mint, white wood aster, wild hyacinth, and wood poppy.

It spreads quickly and its roots produce chemicals that change soil chemistry, preventing the growth of other foilage. Those chemicals also deter herbivores that would otherwise eat the plant and help control its population. It can also spread viruses that impact important crops like cucumber. Which is why removing it is so important.

So how do you eat it? Like the name suggests its crushed leaves have a distinct, garlicky smell and light, garlicky taste. The young stems are more sweet, while still garlicky, and the flower buds have the mustard-like flavour.

One of the most popular recipes to use this plant in is a pesto.

However, as with all foraging it is important to know what you are about. Just going up to someone’s yard and picking plants off of it is probably not a good idea. Neither is plucking it off of maintained public property as it might have been sprayed with pesticides.

There are also a few other plants that you might mistake for garlic mustard if you’re not incredible familiar with plants. One of them being dame’s rocket, which grows to a similar height and can be found in similar areas, and can be identified by it’s more purple tinted flowers and longer more narrow leaves.

If you’re going to try to harvest some garlic mustard just be sure to do your homework and know what you are about, or even better, find someone who is already very familiar with harvesting the plant to teach you.

Source: https://bit.ly/3vrBnQf