Wild Garlic

Wild Garlic

Photograph of a Wild garlic flower head showing its white clumped petals against a green leafy background.

Wild Garlic

Wild Garlic

Photograph of a Wild garlic flower head showing its white clumped petals against a green leafy background.

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Latin name: Allium vineale

Size: Leaves are round, hollow, arising from a bulb, 15 to 40mm long, 2 to 10 mm wide. Flowers are greenish white, small, and on short stems above the globe of aerial bulblets.

Distribution: This plant is found throughout the south of Ireland and the UK.

Flowering months: They start to grow in early spring.

Habitat: Found in the woodlands, in shady and damp conditions.

Special features: A perennial from bulblets that emits a strong garlic or onion smell when crushed. Primarily, a weed of small grains, turf grass and pastures. Wild garlic imparts a garlic-like flavour and odour on dairy and beef products when grazed. Additionally, small grains may become tainted with a garlic-like odour and/or flavour due to the presence of aerial bulblets at the time of harvest. All leaves have a garlic-like or onion scent. Flowering stems are the only stems that occur. These are slender, solid, waxy, unbranched. Flowers are produced at the top of the flowering stems. Aerial bulblets are ovoid, often wholly or partially replace the flowers, and are usually tipped by a long, fragile slender green leaf.