garlic mustard vs. eupatorium

15 years ago

Hi all.

I have eupatorium 'chocolate' that reseeds around my garden abundantly. I am seeing lots of triangular serrated leaves on 1' stalks at present -- without the purple coloring of 'chocolate'. Is it garlic mustard? Or are these eupatorium seedlings that have reverted to green? No flowers or buds on any of them -- and garlic mustard should be near blooming, right? So does that make it eupatorium?

Yours hopefully,

ML

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Comments (7)

WendyB 5A/MA
15 years ago
Probably garlic mustard. It only blooms for a couple of days so you may have missed it. Do you see a flower bud? Mine was blooming yesterday and I am a week or two colder than you.

Eupatorium is typically a late riser. My garlic mustard was about a foot high. I haven't looked closely at my Eupatorium spot recently, but about a week ago I didn't see it.

Growing wisdom just did a video on it. It was very informative. I didn't know about garlic mustard until I saw that video. THen I went around and scoured my property for it.

Here is a link that might be useful: growingwisdom garlic mustard video
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diggingthedirt
15 years ago
ML, my Eupatorium 'chocolate' seedlings are up to about 3 or 4 inches tall now, and we're generally later than the Boston area in spring.

Garlic mustard is a much brighter green, and the leaves are more crinkly as opposed to eupatorium chocolate which is sort of textured but ... different, more like "has some creases" (actually the straight Joe Pye is more like GM, i.e. crinkled). The GM leaves are also more rounded/heart shaped, not so much triangular, IMHO.

A lot of my 'chocolate' seedlings are not as reddish as the original plant, but they are more muddy, and never as bright as GM.

Around here, both plants are horrible pests. I detest the eupatorium much less since I accidentally let some Perilla go to seed the year before last, though. Its seedlings can actually crowd out the chocolate, no mean feat.
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I don't know where you're located alsnavely, but here in the midatlantic/south east/mainland NY I've been using aggressive native volunteer plants to help me fight the fight. don't know if this'll work for you because virginia creeper is one of the plants I encourage. :) also (native volunteers): Impatiens capensis (jewelweed), circaea (enchanters nightshade), Viola sororia aka Viola papilionacea (common blue violet), Polygonum virginianum (virginia knotweed), Geum canadense (White Avens), Fragaria virginiana (wild strawberry), Polygonatum commutatum (solomons seal), Eurybia divaricata aka Aster divaricatus (white wood aster) to name a few. I've encouraged these because the price was right, these are easy to pull up (or xplant elsewhere) if you have something more desirable to plant in it's place, and they benefit wildlife. I've also planted asarum canadense (wild ginger), Eupatorium purpureum (joe pye weed), Asclepias incarnata (swamp milkweed), and Geranium maculatum (wild geranium). the fact that these plants are aggressive (some consider weedy) is what makes 'em prime candidates for this situation. If you have an area that you can spend more time with, and be even more diligent - maybe an area closer to the house, then I think something a bit less assertive might work. good luck to you - and keep pullin' out those nasties
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Marie Tulin
15 years ago
Recently I just wrote "somewhere, don't remember where" about eupatorium chocolate. I've observed over the last two years that often the seedlings are not as dark as the parent. They should be pulled. You can really see the difference side by side.

The garlic mustard, bright green, is blooming now.Its flowers are whorled around the stem and are not showy. The e. 'chocolate'blooms much later in late summer. Its flowers are fluffy and more decorative.

And although I agree eupatorium can spread, it doesn't compare to the infesting progeny of garlic mustard.

And while we're discussing this, watch out for g.phaeum "Samobar" seedings. Frequently, the leaves are washed out the flower is pink not deep maroon. Rogue these too.
Marie
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mayalena
Original Author
15 years ago
Thx, gals.
These are definitely not bright green, so I am hoping they are eup -- but I think I'll pull 'em anyway! Just for the fun of it -- when I am out pulling maple seedlings. Amazing how the maples continue to germinate.................
ML
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asarum
15 years ago
Am I remembering this wrong as I sit at my desk at work? I think the easiest way to tell garlic mustard is by the garlic smell. I don't associate that smell with eupatorium.
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diggingthedirt
15 years ago
Yes, the smell is the clincher. The stem is also "fat" where the eup is thin. Often the greenish-leaved eup still has a somewhat red stem.

I agree with Marie, the eup seedlings are variable. Just how aggressively it can colonize depends on your local climate, though. Here, it is a serious pest; probably not as bad as GM, but then I didn't plant the GM, so I don't feel so responsible.
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crnaskater
15 years ago
I've made several rounds already, in between all the rain...now the flowers are on the stalks. I've tried to get my neighbor to pull all that is on his side but to no avail, so that 100 feet is a constant battle for me.

Good video link. Thanks!!
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garlic mustard vs. eupatorium

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WendyB 5A/MA

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garlic mustard vs. eupatorium

Comments (7)

WendyB 5A/MA

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Marie Tulin

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