Herb: Jimbur


Latin name: Allium wallichii


Family: Alliaceae (Onion Family)



Medicinal use of Jimbur:

The bulbs, boiled then fried in ghee, are eaten in the treatment of cholera and dysentery. The raw bulb is chewed to treat coughs and colds. It is said that eating the bulbs can ease the symptoms of altitude sickness. Members of this genus are in general very healthy additions to the diet. They contain sulphur compounds (which give them their onion flavour) and when added to the diet on a regular basis they help reduce blood cholesterol levels, act as a tonic to the digestive system and also tonify the circulatory system.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Bulb


Height:
60 cm
(2 feet)

Flowering:
August to
September

Habitat of the herb:

Forest clearings and shrubberies, fully open to the monsoon rains, 2800 - 4300 metres from Pakistan to S.W. China.

Edible parts of Jimbur:

Young leaves - cooked as a vegetable. The dried leaves are used as a condiment in curries and pickles. Bulb - raw or cooked. Poorly developed and rather small. The cloves are used as a substitute for garlic. Flowers - raw. Used as a garnish on salads.

Other uses of the herb:

The juice of the plant is used as a moth repellent. The whole plant is said to repel insects and moles.

Propagation of Jimbur:

Seed - sow spring in a cold frame. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle - if you want to produce clumps more quickly then put three plants in each pot. Grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter and plant them out into their permanent positions in spring once they are growing vigorously and are large enough. Division in spring. The plants divide successfully at any time in the growing season, pot up the divisions in a cold frame or greenhouse until they are growing well and then plant them out into their permanent positions.

Cultivation of the herb:

Forest clearings and shrubberies, fully open to the monsoon rains, 2800 - 4300 metres from Pakistan to S.W. China.

Known hazards of Allium wallichii:

Although no individual reports regarding this species have been seen, there have been cases of poisoning caused by the consumption, in very large quantities and by some mammals, of certain members of this genus. Dogs seem to be particularly susceptible.

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.