hedge garlic

[ hej gahr-lik ]

noun

1. an erect cruciferous plant, Alliara petiolata, of the mustard family, with distinctive white, four-petaled flowers and garlicky-tasting leaves: native to much of the world and introduced to North America, where it is considered noxious and invasive, hedge garlic is widely cultivated in Europe for its edible leaves and seeds, and in folk medicine is used especially as a diuretic to treat rheumatism and gout:

   With no natural predators in the U.S., hedge garlic spreads persistently.

2. the leaves of this plant, used as food:

   a palate-rousing salad of arugula, dandelion greens, and hedge garlic.

3. a concoction, especially in folk medicine, made from this plant:

   A tablespoon of hedge garlic two or three times a day should relieve the swelling.

hedge garlic

noun

1. another name for garlic mustard

Word History and Origins

Origin of hedge garlic¹

First recorded in 1825–30