Jack-By-The-Hedge is a very common plant on the banks and under hedgerows everywhere but I came across a huge patch of it in one place where I walked last week. It's just beginning to go over now.
| It's Scientific Name is Alliaria petiolata but apart from Jack By The Hedge it's also called Garlic Mustard, Hedge Garlic, Sauce Alone and Poor Man's Mustard. |
I read that the plant contains a natural antifreeze so the over wintering rosette can be found and eaten even in the depths of winter. Although I've tried it and have never found much flavour of Garlic or Mustard even in early spring on the fresh leaves so I can't imagine it being very tasty in winter.
I thought I would find it mentioned in The Folklore of Plants book - but nothing. Although I did come across the possible reason for it's common name. Perhaps once called Jakes by the Hedge and Jakes were the old name for a toilets and this plant is supposedly to smell like an old toilet! but can't say I've noticed that either.
It's uses were described in a mid 18th century book of edible plants
"The poor people in the country eat the leaves of this plant with their bread, and on account of the relish they give, call them Sauce-alone. They also mix them with Lettuce, use them as a stuffing herb to pork, and eat them with salt-fish"
And of course I had to find the Jack-By-The-Hedge Fairy from Cecily Mary Barkers book of flower fairies
Back Tomorrow
Sue
I have tried eating the stalks which taste slightly garlicky and apparently it is considered an invasive plant now, there is certainly a huge amount around here, in the wild and in the garden. It’s Garlic Mustard here, maybe the next big foraging adventure for posh chefs. Sarah Browne.
ReplyDeletePosh Chefs would certainly have no trouble in finding it.
DeleteThere's always plenty of this along the hedgerows here, going over now though. Doesn't sound too appetising!
ReplyDeleteIt ought to be better than it is
Deleteive cultivated a wee patch of this to add to salad leaves , it grows in a terrible bit of the garden so it can be as invasive as it wants
ReplyDeleteI've tried it but maybe the leaves weren't young enough
DeleteIt is also a favourite food plant of the Orange-tip butterfly caterpillar.
ReplyDeleteOh thanks for that, it explains why I see so many orange tipped butterflies on my walk. Sarah Browne.
DeleteThank you - I didn't know that either
DeleteInteresting what you say about "Jakes" - when my son was at Prep school fifty odd years ago - this is what they still called the toilets then.
ReplyDeleteOften mentioned in the historical crime I read too
DeleteWe have had an ‘explosion’ of Jack-in-the-hedge this year. As it’s so dry, I’ve been breaking off the flower stalks to stop it seeding intending to come back with a fork to dig it out. Only had 3 or 4 sightings of orange tips this year so I guess I must leave it in future till the flowers have properly finished.
ReplyDeleteI've only seen a couple of Orange Tips this year...... actually not many anything really
DeleteI have never heard of this plant very interesting information.
ReplyDeleteCathy
Very common here
DeleteRichard Mabey mentions that it was being sold for a £1 per bunch in Covent Garden in the early 1990s.
ReplyDeleteI could be rich!
DeleteFascinating. Our wild mustard has a yellow flower vs. your plant has a white flower. One wild grassy area on my property is covered in mustard. From a distance, it looks like a vista of pastel yellow.
ReplyDeleteWe have a wild mustard too - with yellow flowers
DeleteThere's a lot of that along the canal path and I had no idea what it was called, or that there was a Jack by the Hedge flower fairy. I love the delicate flowers.
ReplyDeleteThere's a Flower Fairy for almost everything!
DeleteI have lovely little patches amongst the pink campions in my 'wild' area.
ReplyDeleteThere are Pink Campion everywhere too this year - looking very good
DeleteI must try and remember the name of this plant next time I see it in the hedgerows.
ReplyDeleteIt's very widespread and common so you should find it
DeleteWe have a lot of it here too in Pennsylvania. And I never noticed much of a garlic odor either. Love the fairy!
ReplyDeleteMary
I don't think I have seen this in my area of Canada. Thanks for sharing the information with us.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
I'm not sure where you are in Pennsylvania, Mary, but that's where I am. Yes, there is garlic mustard everywhere. It is considered an invasive, and the trails are all marked with signs and exhortations to pull the plant when you see it. (and you WILL see it). I guess I've never understood why, really. It's pretty enough, and I leave it to itself.
ReplyDeleteWow that's really interesting. It's considered an invasive plant at the nature place I walk. They have had two organised events of pulling it up. There is some controversy about it though so I haven't participated.
ReplyDelete