Alpine Leek, Victory onion
Allium victorialis
Family: Alliaceae
What it is like
Allium victorialis is a BULB growing to 0.6 m (2ft). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 7 and is not frost tender. It is in leaf from November to July, in flower in May, and the seeds ripen from June to July. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Bees, insects. Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers dry or moist soil.
Height (m): 0.6
Where it is found
Rocky and stony places in mountains, usually on calcareous soils. Forests, shady and moist slopes, pastures and streamsides at elevations of 600 - 2500 metres in China.
Europe - Mediterranean to Russia, China, Japan and Korea.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 4
Bulb - raw or cooked. An onion substitute. The plants are as pungent as garlic. The bulbs are rather small, about 10 - 20mm in diameter, and are produced in clusters on a short rhizome. Leaves - raw or cooked. The stems and leaves are eaten, they are much favoured in Japan. Flowers - raw or cooked.
Root: includes bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes etc.
Medicine
Rating: 2
The root is antiscorbutic, carminative, diuretic and vermifuge. Used in the treatment of profuse menstruation.
Antiscorbutic: A plant rich in vitamin C that is used to counteract scurvy.
Carminative: Reduces flatulence and expels gas from the intestines.
Diuretic: Acts on the kidneys, promoting the flow of urine.
Vermifuge: Expels and kills internal parasites.
Women's complaints: A very vague title, it deals with a miscellany of problems peculiar to the female sex.
Other
Rating:
The juice of the plant is used as a moth repellent. The whole plant is said to repel insects and moles.
Repellent: Plants that are said to deter but not necessarily kill various mammals, birds, insects etc.
How it is grown
Requires a sunny position in a light well-drained soil. The bulbs should be planted fairly deeply. Most members of this genus are intolerant of competition from other growing plants. Grows well with most plants, especially roses, carrots, beet and chamomile, but it inhibits the growth of legumes. This plant is a bad companion for alfalfa, each species negatively affecting the other. Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer.
Propagating it: Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a greenhouse or cold frame. It germinates quickly and can be grown on in the greenhouse for the first year, planting out the dormant bulbs in the late summer of the following year if they have developed sufficiently, otherwise grow on in pots for a further year. Stored seed can be sown in spring in a greenhouse. Division in summer after the plants have died down. Fairly easy, though we have found that it is best to pot up the divisions until they are growing away strongly before planting them out into their permanent positions.
Best place to grow: Cultivated Beds;
Habit: Bulb
Hardiness: 6-9
Growth:
Soil: Light (sandy), medium
Shade: No shade
Moisture: Dry, moist
Things to keep in mind
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.