Crow Garlic, Wild garlic, Compact onion, False Garlic, Wild, Onion
Allium vineale
Family: Alliaceae
What it is like
A perennial, bulb-forming species wild onions, native to Europe, northwestern Africa and the Middle East. All parts of the plant have a strong garlic odour. The underground bulb is 1-2 cm diameter. Other Common Names: English: field garlic; wild garlic; wild onion. Spanish: ajito de las vinas; ajo cimarron. French: ail des vignes. Portuguese: alho-das-vinhas. Germany: Weinberg- Lauch. Italy: aglio delle vigne. Netherlands: kraailook. Sweden: sandloek.
Allium vineale is a BULB growing to 0.6 m (2ft) by 0.1 m (0ft 4in) at a medium rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 5 and is not frost tender. It is in leaf from October to August, in flower from June to July, and the seeds ripen from August to September. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Insects. The plant is self-fertile. Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils. 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
Fields and roadsides to elevations of 450 metres in Britain, often a serious weed of pastures.
Much of Europe, including Britain, to N. Africa and Lebanon.
Conservation Status: This taxon has not yet been assessed.
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 3
Leaves - raw or cooked. Rather stringy, they are used as a garlic substitute. The leaves are available from late autumn until the following summer, when used sparingly they make a nice addition to the salad bowl. Bulb - used as a flavouring. Rather small, with a very strong flavour and odour. The bulbs are 10 - 20mm in diameter. Bulbils - raw or cooked. Rather small and fiddly, they have a strong garlic-like flavour.
Root: includes bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes etc.
Medicine
Rating: 2
The whole plant is antiasthmatic, blood purifier, carminative, cathartic, diuretic, expectorant, hypotensive, stimulant and vasodilator. A tincture is used to prevent worms and colic in children, and also as a remedy for croup. The raw root can be eaten to reduce blood pressure and also to ease shortness of breath. Although no other 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.
Antiasthmatic: Treats asthma.
Blood purifier: Purifies the blood.
Carminative: Reduces flatulence and expels gas from the intestines.
Cathartic: A strong laxative but less violent than a purgative.
Diuretic: Acts on the kidneys, promoting the flow of urine.
Expectorant: Clears phlegm from the chest by inducing coughing.
Stimulant: Excites or quickens activity of the physiological processes. Faster acting than a tonic but differing from a narcotic in that it does not give a false sense of well-being.
Vasodilator: Widens the blood vessels, thereby reducing blood pressure.
Other
Rating: 2
The juice of the plant is used as a moth repellent. The whole plant is said to repel insects and moles. The juice of the plant can be rubbed on exposed parts of the body to repel biting insects, scorpions etc.
Repellent: Plants that are said to deter but not necessarily kill various mammals, birds, insects etc.
How it is grown
Prefers a sunny position in a light well-drained soil. The bulbs should be planted fairly deeply. 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. This species is a pernicious weed of grassland in Britain, spreading freely by means of its bulbils. Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer.
Propagating it: Plants do not need any encouragement, they are more than capable of propagating themselves. Bulbils are produced in abundance in the summer and are the main means by which the plant spreads.
Best place to grow: Meadow;
Habit: Bulb
Hardiness: 5-8
Growth: Medium
Soil: Light (sandy), medium
Shade: No shade
Moisture: Dry, moist
Things to keep in mind
There have been cases of poisoning caused by the consumption, in large quantities and by some mammals, of this species. Dogs seem to be particularly susceptible.
Possibly a noxious weed in parts of Australia, North America (esp. Arkansas, California, Hawaii), and Kenya.