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Plants that fill a similar niche:: Allium cepa; Yucca flaccida; Allium schoenoprasum

Serpent Garlic Allium sativum

Other Common Name(s):

Phonetic Spelling

AL-ee-um sa-TEE-vum

This plant has low severity poison characteristics.

Description

Garlic is a member of the onion family native to Asia. Its bulbs are highly edible and it is a popular vegetable garden plant. It is resistant to browsing by deer and black walnut.

VIDEO Created by Elisabeth Meyer for "Edibles, Bulbs, and Houseplants" a plant identification course offered in partnership with Longwood Gardens.

Profile Video:

See this plant in the following landscape:

Cultivars / Varieties:

var. ophioscorodon
Hardneck garlic

var. sativum
Softneck Garlic

var. ophioscorodon, var. sativum

Tags:

#bulb #black walnut #Tunicated bulb #deer resistant #edible leaves #edible #cool season vegetable #problem for cats #problem for dogs #problem for horses #edible bulbs

garlic — garlic Filo gèn' CC BY-SA 4.0

garlic — flowering garlic Neil Cummings CC-BY-SA 2.0

garlic — flowering garlic AfroBrazilian CC BY-SA 3.0

leaves on a garlic — Leaves FASTILY CC BY-SA 3.0

garlic — garlic Nino Barbieri CC BY-SA 3.0

garlic inflorescence — inflorescence Stefan.lefnaer CC BY-SA 4.0

garlic in the garden — leaves Christian Ries CC BY-SA 3.0

garlic — garlic H. Zell CC BY-SA 3.0

roots of garlic — roots of the plant Stefan.lefnaer CC BY-SA 4.0

garlic — bulbils H. Zell CC BY-SA 3.0

garlic — bulbils H. Zell CC BY-SA 3.0

garlic — habit H. Zell CC BY-SA 3.0

Cultivars / Varieties:

var. ophioscorodon
Hardneck garlic

var. sativum
Softneck Garlic

var. ophioscorodon, var. sativum

Tags:

#bulb #black walnut #Tunicated bulb #deer resistant #edible leaves #edible #cool season vegetable #problem for cats #problem for dogs #problem for horses #edible bulbs

Attributes:
Genus:

Allium

Species:

sativum

Family:

Amaryllidaceae

Life Cycle:

Bulb

Country Or Region Of Origin:

Asia

Dimensions:

Height: 1 ft. 0 in. - 1 ft. 6 in.

Width: 0 ft. 8 in. - 1 ft. 0 in.

Whole Plant Traits:
Plant Type:

Annual

Bulb

Edible

Vegetable

Maintenance:

Medium

Cultural Conditions:
Light:

Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)

Available Space To Plant:

Less than 12 inches

12 inches-3 feet

USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:

4a, 4b, 5b, 5a, 6b, 6a, 7b, 7a, 8a, 8b, 9b, 9a

Fruit:
Fruit Color:

Cream/Tan

Fruit Type:

Capsule

Fruit Description:

Capsule on top of the flowering stalk. Splits open when ripe.

Flowers:
Flower Color:

Pink

White

Flower Inflorescence:

Umbel

Flower Petals:

6 petals/rays

Leaves:
Leaf Color:

Green

Leaf Value To Gardener:

Edible

Fragrant

Leaf Type:

Simple

Leaf Arrangement:

Rosulate

Leaf Shape:

Linear

Leaf Margin:

Entire

Hairs Present:

No

Leaf Length:

> 6 inches

Leaf Width:

< 1 inch

Leaf Description:

Long and thin. Brighter green than other cultivated alliums.

Stem:
Stem Is Aromatic:

No

Landscape:
Landscape Theme:

Edible Garden

Design Feature:

Mass Planting

Small groups

Resistance To Challenges:

Black Walnut

Deer

Problems:

Problem for Cats

Problem for Dogs

Problem for Horses

Poisonous to Humans:
Poison Severity:

Low

Poison Symptoms:

Vomiting, breakdown of red blood cells (hemolytic anemia, Heinz body anemia), blood in urine, weakness, high heart rate, panting

Poison Toxic Principle:

N-propyl disulfide

Causes Contact Dermatitis:

No