Identity & origin
BOTANICAL IDENTITY
The right name is the first step.
Annual or biennial in the Brassicaceae family. Recorded native range: Europe to Central Asia and northern Myanmar; northwestern Africa. The listed pharmacopoeial material is whole plant. Kew places the inventory name under Alliaria petiolata.
Also known as: Alliaria petiolata
Check the species, plant part and complete botanical name together. A photograph alone cannot identify a harvest safely for consumption.
An illustration is not enough to identify a plant for consumption. Do not forage for a species based solely on this profile.
Uses & evidence
UNDERSTANDING THE USES
Properties & uses.
Pharmacopoeial material: whole plant
Kew treats Sisymbrium alliaria as a synonym of Alliaria petiolata. It is therefore distinct from hedge mustard despite the historical shared genus name. This notice infers no therapeutic indication.
The references do not establish a benefit. Lack of evidence is not assurance of safety.
Read the sourceThe traditional uses described are not clinical proof of effectiveness. Evidence for one preparation cannot automatically be applied to another.
Precautions before use
BEFORE ANY USE
Precautions & contraindications.
This guidance does not cover every individual situation. Missing information is not a guarantee of safety.
The following warnings do not constitute a complete review of interactions or contraindications. An unstudied combination cannot be considered compatible.
Contraindications & precautions
- This botanical dossier does not establish medicinal-use safety. Anyone with a medical condition or taking medicine needs professional assessment of the specific product.
Medicine interactions
- Interactions are not assessed here; compatibility with medicines cannot be inferred.
“Reported” does not prove causality; “possible” may reflect indirect evidence. “None reported” means none in the cited source, not that all combinations have been studied. Do not stop a prescribed treatment based on this profile.
Adverse effects
- Adverse effects are insufficiently documented in this notice; an incomplete assessment does not mean no risk.
Pregnancy & breastfeeding
No medicinal use is offered during pregnancy or breastfeeding; this dossier cannot establish safety in these situations.
Children & adolescents
No paediatric preparation or dose is offered in this notice.
If symptoms persist, worsen or are unusual, consult a healthcare professional. In an emergency, contact the emergency services.
Sources & last review
CHECKING REFERENCES
Sources for this profile.
- ANSM — French Pharmacopoeia, List A, January 2026, p. 3Accessed on 09/10/2026
- Kew POWO — Sisymbrium alliaria (L.) Scop.Accessed on 09/10/2026
- Kew POWO — Alliaria petiolataAccessed on 09/10/2026
Image: Megan Bolcar · CC BY 4.0. View the original image and its licence. Image resized and converted to WebP.