 The Great Garlic Mustard Challenge set for May 17
Plymouth community members are invited to participate in a new volunteer initiative, The Great Garlic Mustard Challenge, 9-11 a.m. Saturday, May 17.
As part of the challenge, participants will engage in a friendly competition to see how much garlic mustard can be removed from four different Plymouth parks in two hours. Volunteers may sign up for one of the following locations:
- Schmidt Lake Park,11755 50th Ave. N.
- West Medicine Lake Park,1920 W. Medicine Lake Drive
- Parkers Lake Park, 15205 County Road 6
- Green Tree Island Park, 18915 30th Ave. N.
During the event, participants may learn about invasive garlic mustard, why removal matters and how to remove it. No experience is needed. Volunteers should bring a water bottle and gardening gloves.
To sign up for The Great Garlic Mustard Challenge and view more information, visit plymouthmn.gov/volunteer.
About Garlic Mustard
Garlic mustard aggressively monopolizes light, moisture, nutrients, soil and space – and outcompetes many native plants that provide food and habitat for pollinators like butterflies and bees. When garlic mustard replaces native plants, many wildlife species are deprived of essential food sources that provide foliage, pollen, nectar, fruits, seeds and roots.
Named for the odor of garlic the plant gives off when the leaves are crushed, garlic mustard is a biennial herb with stalked, triangular- to heart-shaped, coarsely toothed leaves. Flowering plants are 2- to 3½-feet tall and produce clusters of small white flowers, each with four petals.
The plant’s entire root system must be removed to prevent new plants from sprouting. Plymouth city staff ask residents to keep an eye out for the invasive garlic mustard plant – and help remove it. To learn how to identify and remove garlic mustard, a video is available to view at plymouthmn.gov/volunteer.
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