Just when you thought it was safe to go out.

The plant known as garlic mustard has invaded the Mountain and has its roots
planted firmly in the Twilight Zone.

“It sounds like science fiction,” said Russ Plaeger of the Sandy River Basin
Watershed Council. “Garlic mustard produces chemical compounds that inhibit
the growth of nearby plants. Science fiction, but it’s true. It’s a threat to our
native wildflowers.”

And the nasty invasive plant has been spotted on the Salmon River in
Welches.

“This is very worrisome because garlic mustard is able to grow in shaded
forests where it can take over the forest floor,” Plaeger said. “It had not
previously been sighted in this area.”

This shady character can be found in moist areas in the forest and along
streams, roads and hiking trails where the seeds have hitched a ride on
people or deer. The 1-4 foot tall plant flowers in May to June of their second
year and are easier to recognize and control at that time. The white flowers
are one-quarter inch wide with four petals arranged in an X as you look down
on them. Leaves on the stems alternate, are sharply toothed, triangular, and
get smaller toward the top of the stem.

“If you think you’ve found garlic mustard, crush a few leaves,” Plaeger said.
“During the spring and summer they’ll give off a strong garlic odor. This is a
good way to avoid confusing garlic mustard with two local, native plants:
fringecup and piggy-back plant.”

To control this critter it is best to pull plants by hand, put them in bags and
dispose of in trash because plants can still produce seeds after you pull them.
Mowing is not effective as plants will re-sprout.

It is estimated that invasive plants have a total direct and indirect impact of
$125 million per year in lost agricultural production, fire damage, and control
expenses in Oregon, according to the Oregon Invasive Species Council. These
expenses are absorbed by all Oregonians through increased food costs, higher
taxes and decreased property values.

These invaders also have a profound impact on our native ecosystem by
displacing diverse native plant communities and replacing them with weedy
monocultures. This expansion of invaders alters ecological processes and
disrupts complex food webs which adversely affect fish and wildlife. The result
is a loss of biodiversity that leaves behind a landscape that is much less
productive and less resilient to changing environmental conditions.

Invasive species result in land that is homogenous and less Oregon-like.

The Sandy River Basin Watershed Council and the Mt. Hood National Forest
are sponsoring an invasive plant identification workshop from 6:30 to 8:30
p.m., July 13, in the banquet room of the Zigzag Inn Restaurant.