King County teams up with volunteers and Seattle Parks to stop the invasion of garlic mustard at Golden Gardens

2005 Archived News

When visitors from the midwest or eastern states hear that we only have garlic mustard in a few parks in Seattle, they tell us we are lucky. Then they tell us to get busy and eradicate it. This is a weed that can potentially wipe out the remaining native understory vegetation in western Washington's forests, especially in the young, mixed canopy forests of the urban and suburban areas.

This spring, volunteers will be working with the King County Noxious Weed Control Program and Seattle Parks and Recreation to stop the spread of garlic mustard in Golden Gardens Park in north Seattle.

University of Washington environmental studies student Katie Hodapp is working with county and city staff to map infestations and to educate park users and community groups about how they can help stop the spread of this aggressive forest invader. One major concern is the spread of garlic mustard from the off-leash area to the rest of the park and the nearby residential areas.

According to Hodapp, "Dog owners can help prevent further spread by encouraging their dogs to stay out of infested areas and by watching for new infestations in the park and the neighborhood."

Volunteer work parties this spring will focus on hand-pulling as many of these weeds as possible before the seeds form. The first work party is scheduled for April 2 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Volunteers will meet at the parking lot near the off-leash dog area in upper Golden Gardens Park.

Garlic mustard is a Class A Noxious Weed that infests vast areas of forest land in the eastern and midwestern United States Despite efforts to eradicate it, garlic mustard has spread to many of Seattle's forested parks including Golden Gardens, Carkeek, Ravenna, Woodland Park, Washington Park Arboretum, Interlaken, Jackson, Magnuson, Longfellow Creek, Cheasty Greenspace and along the Burke-Gilman Trail.

Garlic mustard infests natural ecosystems and quickly takes over the ground layer by out-competing native plants for nutrients and light. It is common to find it along trails and in areas of heavy traffic. Due to the serious threat of this noxious weed invasion, Washington State requires property owners to eradicate garlic mustard.

Park users and neighbors are being asked to help by being on the lookout for new infestations so they can be removed before seeds form. According to Sasha Shaw, education specialist for the King County Noxious Weed Program, "The cost to taxpayers if this invasive plant spreads any further will be much greater than the cost to eliminate it now while it is still fairly limited in distribution. It is beneficial for us all to fight this invader together."

It can be challenging to identify garlic mustard because it resembles several other weeds and some native plants. Garlic mustard's lower leaves are kidney shaped, growing smaller and more triangular near the top, and roughly toothed on the edges. The plant usually flowers in April, with little white flowers.