Alliaria petiolata

Jack-by-the-hedge

Alliaria petiolata, commonly known as garlic mustard, is a biennial herb native to Europe but widely naturalized in North America. Distinguished by its garlic-scented leaves and small white flowers, this invasive species disrupts forest ecosystems by altering soil chemistry and suppressing the growth of native flora through allelopathy.

  • Scientific name: Alliaria petiolata
  • Family: Brassicaceae
  • Native range: Europe

Taxonomical Classification

This plant, known scientifically as Alliaria petiolata, belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta. It is classified within the class Equisetopsida and the subclass Magnoliidae, falling under the order Brassicales. Finally, it is a member of the family Brassicaceae and is categorized under the genus Alliaria.

Rank Classification Source
Kingdom Plantae WCVP
Phylum Streptophyta WCVP
Class Equisetopsida WCVP
Subclass Magnoliidae WCVP
Order Brassicales WCVP
Family Brassicaceae WCVP
Genus Alliaria WCVP

Common Names

This plant, Alliaria petiolata, is known by various common names depending on the linguistic and regional context. In French, it is referred to as Alliaire officinale, while in Polish, it is called czosnaczek pospolity. The species also carries distinct names in other languages, such as Bloderkraut in Luxembourgish (lb), A des håyes in Walloon (wa), and Часночніца чаранковая in Belarusian (be).
Language Common Name Source
lb Bloderkraut Wikidata
pl czosnaczek pospolity Wikidata
wa A des håyes Wikidata
be Часночніца чаранковая Wikidata
fr Alliaire officinale Wikidata
hu kányazsombor Wikidata
li Look zónder look Wikidata
de Knoblauchsrauke Wikidata
hsb Prawy česnak Wikidata
sv löktrav Wikidata

Distribution

This plant, known as Alliaria petiolata, exhibits a specific geographical presence across parts of Northern Europe. Its range extends through the Scandinavian peninsula, where it can be found in both Norway and Finland. Additionally, the species is documented within the coastal and mainland regions of Denmark. Moving westward, the plant is also distributed across the British Isles. Specifically, its occurrence is noted in both Great Britain and Ireland.

Region Area Source
Northern Europe Denmark WCVP
Northern Europe Finland WCVP
Northern Europe Great Britain WCVP
Northern Europe Ireland WCVP
Northern Europe Norway WCVP
Northern Europe Sweden WCVP
Middle Europe Austria WCVP
Middle Europe Belgium WCVP
Middle Europe Czechia-Slovakia WCVP
Middle Europe Germany WCVP

Activities

Alliaria petiolata has 1 reported activities identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antioxidant.

Total activities
1
Scientific sources
1

Most Reported Activities

Activity Sources Confidence
Antioxidant 1 ★☆☆☆☆