Herb: Rosy Garlic


Latin name: Allium roseum


Family: Alliaceae (Onion Family)



Medicinal use of Rosy Garlic:

Although no specific mention of medicinal uses has been seen for this species, 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:
35 cm
(1 foot)

Flowering:
May to
June

Habitat of the herb:

Grassland and gravelly places near the sea.

Edible parts of Rosy Garlic:

Bulb - raw or cooked. A garlic substitute, it is used as a flavouring in salads and cooked foods. The bulbs are 10 - 15mm in diameter. Leaves - raw or cooked. A mild garlic flavour, they make a nice addition to salads and can also be used as a flavouring in cooked foods. Flowers - raw. Used as a garnish on salads, they are very attractive and have a pleasant mild garlic flavour. Bulbils - raw or cooked. Very small and fiddly to use, though they have a pleasant mild garlic flavour.

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 Rosy Garlic:

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. Very easy, the plants divide successfully at any time in the growing season and the divisions can be planted straight out into their permanent positions if required.

Cultivation of the herb:

Grassland and gravelly places near the sea.

Known hazards of Allium roseum:

Although no individual reports regarding this species have been seen, there have been cases of poisoning caused by the consumption, in 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.