Few-flowered leek
Allium paradoxum

Family: Amaryllidaceae

What it is like

An onion family plant. A bulb plant. It grows to 25 cm high. Each bulb has a single leaf. It is 20-30 cm long by 25 mm wide. It has a keeled midrib. There are 1-10 flowers in a head. They are white. There are also bulbils on the flower head.

There are about 300-700 Allium species. Most species of Allium are edible (Flora of China). All alliums are edible but they may not all be worth eating! They have also been put in the family Alliaceae.

Where it is found

It grows naturally in Iran in waste places on damp soils and is naturalised in a number of places in Britain. It prefers a sunny position and a light well drained soil and can grow in wet clay soils. They can tolerate shade. It suits hardiness zones 7-9.

Countries/locations it is found in

Armenia, Australia, Britain, Caucasus, Europe, Iran, Iraq, Middle East, Slovenia

How it is used for food

The bulbs are eaten raw or cooked. The leaves are eaten raw or cooked. The flowers are used raw.

Edible parts

Flowers, leaves, root, bulb

How it is grown

Plants can be grown from seed, bulbils or by dividing the clumps.

Its other names

Local names

Dikiy luk, Nenavadni luk, Pîçk, Sekhtoruk, Sirmi, Skordotsank

Synonyms

Allium paradoxum var. normale Steam; Scilla paradoxa M. Bieb.;