Jimbur
Allium wallichii
Family: Alliaceae
What it is like
Allium wallichii is a BULB growing to 0.6 m (2ft). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 8. It is in flower 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 and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil.
Height (m): 0.6
Where it is found
Forest clearings and shrubberies, fully open to the monsoon rains, 2800 - 4300 metres from Pakistan to S.W. China.
E. Asia - W. China to the Himalayas.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 3
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.
Root: includes bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes etc.
Medicine
Rating: 2
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.
Cholera: Used in the treatment of cholera - an acute diarrheal illness caused by infection of the intestine with Vibrio cholerae bacteria.
Dysentery: Used in treating dysentery - an infection of the intestines that causes diarrhoea containing blood or mucus.
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
An easily grown plant, it prefers a sunny position in a light well-drained soil. This species is not hardy in the colder areas of Britain, it tolerates temperatures down to between -5 and -10°c. It succeeds outdoors in N.W. England where it sets seed. 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 - 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.
Best place to grow: Cultivated Beds;
Habit: Bulb
Hardiness: 7-10
Growth:
Soil: Light (sandy), medium
Shade: No shade
Moisture: 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.