# Garlic (*Allium sativum*)

Garlic is a tasty bulb that grows underground. It has a strong smell and is used in cooking to add delicious flavor to dishes.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** Gardens
- **Also known as:** Allium sativum, Hardneck Garlic, Softneck Garlic

![Garlic](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Garlic_bulbs_and_cloves.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Ivar Leidus, CC BY-SA 4.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Garlic_bulbs_and_cloves.jpg)

## Appearance

The Garlic plant has long, flat, strap-like green leaves growing from a bulb that typically has papery white or purplish skin. Its small, often pinkish-white flowers form a rounded cluster at the top of a stiff stem, visually distinct from onions.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Liliopsida
- **Order:** Asparagales
- **Family:** Amaryllidaceae
- **Genus:** Allium

## Interesting facts

- Ancient Egyptians used garlic as medicine and even paid workers with it!
- Garlic's 'hot' flavor comes from chemicals that react when it's crushed.
- Rubbing garlic on cuts or bug bites was once a common old folk remedy.
- The stronger garlic smells, the more powerful its healthful compounds are!

## Special abilities

- **Bulb Energy Store:** Garlic stores food and water in its bulb, helping it survive harsh conditions underground and regrow.
- **Pungent Protector:** Garlic produces strong-smelling sulfur compounds that deter pests and microbes, protecting itself from being eaten.
- **Clone Creator:** Garlic can grow new plants from tiny cloves within its bulb, allowing it to easily make many genetic copies.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 30-60 cm
- **Spread:** 15-30 cm
- **Flower Size:** 0.3-0.5 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Summer
- **Edible:** Yes
- **Toxicity:** Mild
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** Honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — visits flowers for nectar and pollen
- **Eaten by:** Onion maggot (*Delia antiqua*) — larvae feed on garlic bulbs
- **Parasitizes:** Onion neck rot fungus (*Botrytis allii*) — causes rot in stored garlic bulbs

## Traits

- [Aromatic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aromatic): Aromatic plants produce and emit fragrant volatile organic compounds, often for defense or to attract pollinators.
- [Spring Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spring-blooming): Spring blooming plants produce their flowers during the spring season, often signifying the end of winter and the start of new growth.
- [Medicinal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/medicinal): Medicinal plants possess chemical compounds that can be used for therapeutic purposes to treat illnesses or maintain health.
- [Edible](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/edible): Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption.
- [Spice](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spice): This human use trait indicates species from which spices are derived, used for flavoring, preserving food, or as aromatic agents.

## Collections

- [Herbs](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/herbs)
- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Garlic is safe to touch and smell but should be eaten in food with adult supervision.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Garlic?

Compare leaf shape and arrangement, stem structure, flowers and growth habit. Some poisonous plants look a lot like kitchen herbs, so looks alone never prove a plant is safe to eat. Herb Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Garlic?

30-60 cm

### How wide does Garlic spread?

15-30 cm

### How big are the flowers on Garlic?

0.3-0.5 cm

### When does Garlic bloom?

Summer

### Is Garlic edible?

Yes

### Is Garlic toxic?

Mild

### What is Garlic's lifecycle?

Perennial

## More Plants

- [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*)
- [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*)
- [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*)
- [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*)

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Source: [Garlic: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/garlic)