ST CROIX VALLEY work party

by Evanne Hunt | May 5, 2026

Pull garlic mustard

The main task for the day is pulling garlic mustard.  We will also scout for unknown patches of garlic mustard (and other weeds), look for plants that aren’t on our plant list, and start a list of tasks to do in the coming months.

J J Prekop Jr,All rights reserved

Date: May 11  (Monday)
Time: 10am to 2pm
Location: Dieperink Woods (previously Brokken Woods)
Afton, MN

We will meet at the gate on the cul-de-sac at the south end of the property: at the far eastern end of 42nd St. S in Afton, MN. There is plenty of room to park.

Map to location

Garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) is a highly invasive biennial herb from Europe that forms dense stands in woodlands, outcompeting native plants by altering soil chemistry. It’s identified by heart-shaped leaves that smell like garlic when crushed and small white flowers in its second year, producing numerous seeds that spread easily. Control involves hand-pulling before flowering (especially after rain to get the taproot), bagging and disposing of plants, or using herbicides, but requires several years of consistent effort.

Bring:
♦ Dress appropriately for weather
♦ Drinking water
♦ Garden gloves
♦ Bring your lunch (salad??  Yes, garlic mustard is edible! Use young garlic mustard leaves in salads, blend into pesto, or sauté stems and leaves with olive oil. Second-year stems are also delicious when roasted.  The young plants are less bitter (older plants need to be cooked thoroughly as they contain cyanide) to add spice to dips, sauces, salads and stir fries.)