Garlic Mustard, Alliaria petiolata (or A. officinalis), is a really common weed from Europe. It grows in huge batches in shady, infrequently mowed areas. It is biennial, flowering the second year. The first year plants are low-growing and look like an attractive ground cover, but the taller second-year ones, not so much.
The flowers are small and not obvious. They are followed by skinny pods, like most mustards. The leaves smell of garlic (and Alliaria means garlic-like)
Garlic mustard suppresses the growth of most other plants where it is present, and produces astounding quantities of seeds which can germinate many years after they fall to the ground. In addition, deer avoid it, so here in suburban New Jersey, where deer are literally the most commonly seen mammal after humans, dogs, and cats, it has a huge advantage over native plants.
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