Jack by the Hedge

 Jack by the hedge  ( Alliaria petiolata)

Aka garlic mustard

This is a cute little plant grows in hedge and it’s very common. It is called Jack as it’s a very common name for a very common plant (no offence if your called Jack) 

It’s quite a non-assuming plant is part of the Brassica family, and quite often people don’t really notice it. It's a biennial which means it grows for two years. The first year is a small low, growing rosette of heart-shaped leaves, and then the second year, the plant out a flowering spike with small white flowers. The leaves on this stem are more triangular.

It’s one of those plants that you will either  love or hate. It’s kind of like coriander and soap. However this plant is either garlicky mustard and yummy or bitter and tastes like paracetamol. Personally I love it goes really well with potatoes, salads or as a pothead for flavouring in pretty much everything. 

Identifying features for Jack by the hedge

• First year growth the plant has a rosette of wavy edged heart shaped leaves. The leaves are deeply grooved with many branching veins.

• The second year growth, the leaves are still heart-shaped, much more triangular and longer, less plant can be found in hedge Rose they wraparound a tall woody stem.

• If you rub delays or break them, they smell garlicky

• The flowers are small less than a centimetre and have two pairs opposite white petals.

• The seeds are 4/5 cm long and no thicker than a pencil lead. Inside or small round seeds, Nibble these are they really pack a punch of mustard. 

• This plant can be found in hedgerows, gardens, and around the edges of fields. 

If you have all of these features, it’s highly likely that you have Jack by the hedge

Lookalikes for Jack by the hedge

Dog violets when you can only see leaves

Other Brassica species have the same flower, but few of those have heart shaped leaves.