Rocambole, Sand leek
Allium scorodoprasum
Family: Alliaceae
What it is like
Allium scorodoprasum is a BULB growing to 0.6 m (2ft) by 0.1 m (0ft 4in). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 7 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from May to August. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Bees, insects. Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils, prefers well-drained soil and can grow in nutritionally poor 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
Grassland and scrub on dry soils.
Most of Europe, including Britain, east and south to W. Asia and Syria.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 4
Bulb - raw or cooked. A garlic substitute, it is used as a flavouring in salads, soups etc. The bulbs are smaller than garlic and have a milder flavour, they are produced at the points of the stem as well as at the base. The bulbs are 10 - 20mm in diameter. Leaves - raw or cooked. Used as a flavouring in salads etc. Flowers - raw. Used as a garnish on salads.
Root: includes bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes etc.
Medicine
Rating: 2
The plant is digestive and depurative. The bulb is used in the treatment of abscesses, amoebic dysentery, bronchitis, cholera, dysentery, influenza, skin diseases and TB.
Cholera: Used in the treatment of cholera - an acute diarrheal illness caused by infection of the intestine with Vibrio cholerae bacteria.
Depurative: Eliminates toxins and purifies the system, especially the blood.
Digestive: Aids digestion.
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
Prefers a sunny position in a light well-drained soil. Thrives in poor dry soils. The bulbs should be planted fairly deeply. Many forms of this species produce numerous bulbils in the flowering head. The plants can become very invasive by means of these bulbils. The sub-species A. scorodoprasum jajlae and A. scorodoprasum rotundum do not produce bulbils. 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. Occasionally cultivated, especially in Russia, for its edible bulb. 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. 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.
Best place to grow: Meadow; 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.