28/04/2022
Garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata), also known by wonderful names like ‘Jack-by-the-hedge’ and ‘Penny Hedge’, is one of our favourite spring wildflowers.
Cross-shaped flowers of the purest white, matched against that vibrant, lime spring green, in bright early morning sunshine is just 👌👌
Despite being in a completely different family to true garlic, this plant produces some similar garlicky compounds so the whole plant smells faintly of it, particularly when leaves have been cut or bruised.
It was widely used as a salad garnish when true garlic couldn’t be obtained. It’s a real harbinger of spring: rising from the grass at the base of hedges or lining wooded walkways. It’s also one of two key food plants for another spring gem: the Orange-tip butterfly!
