Giant garlic, Sand leek, Rocambole, Spanish garlic
Allium scorodoprasum
Family: Amaryllidaceae
What it is like
An onion family plant. It is a bulb plant. It grows 30-90 cm high and spreads 15-40 cm wide. The leaves are grass like. They are 25 cm long. There are 2-5 leaves on each bulb. The flowers are in small round heads. They are lilac or purple-red. There are also purple-red bulbils.
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 is a temperate and Mediterranean climate plant. It suits hardiness zones 7-9.
Countries/locations it is found in
Asia, Australia, Balkans, Britain, Bulgaria, China, Denmark, Europe, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Mediterranean, Middle East, New Zealand, Norway, Russia, Scandinavia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Syria, Turkey, Türkiye
How it is used for food
The bulbs are used for flavouring. They are also pickled. The leaves are eaten raw in salads.
It is a commercially cultivated vegetable. The leaves and seeds are foraged and sold in restaurants in Sweden.
Edible parts
Flowers, leaves, root, bulb, vegetable, spice
How it is grown
Its other names
Local names
Divy cesnek, Hagyma, Kigyohagyma, Sirik, Solyask, Sorelask, Vadhagyma, Vad fokhagyma, Vranski luk