People out for their daily walks in the Waterloo Region may have noticed a tall plant with the clusters of white flowers. It’s the garlic mustard plant — and it’s invasive, destructive, and spreading.
Garlic mustard may not be the most egregious of the invasive species, but it is the most widespread. The plant spreads quickly through seed dispersal and dense stands of garlic mustard can produce more than 60,000 seeds per square meter and can double in size every four years.
National Invasive Species Awareness Week runs from May 12th to the 18th to encourage Canadians to take action to stop the spread of invasive species.
Ron Wu Winter of the Grand River Conservation Authority describes Garlic mustard’s spread, the challenges it poses for removal and control, and its ability to release chemicals that inhibit the growth of native plants.
