Photo: Chris Evans, Illinois Wildlife Action Plan, bugwood.org

Have you ever heard of garlic mustard? It sounds like something you might squeeze out of a bottle at dinnertime – but it’s actually an invasive plant! Garlic mustard was brought to North America in the early 1800s. It was originally used as an herb, but it has since escaped into the wild and is now a very aggressive forest invader.

Garlic mustard likes to grow in sunny or shaded areas, including roadsides. You can identify this plant by the white flowers, green triangular leaves and a strong garlic smell when leaves are crushed. To prevent spreading this species, be sure to clean your boots and equipment after traveling through this area.