# wild garlic (*Allium vineale*) Wild garlic is a tasty plant that grows in fields and woods. It has long green leaves and pretty white flowers that smell like garlic. People often use it in cooking to add flavor! - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 16 - **Habitat:** Woodlands - **Also known as:** Wood Garlic ![wild garlic](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/%28MHNT%29_Allium_vineale_-_inflorescence_immature.jpg&width=800) Photo: Didier Descouens, CC BY-SA 4.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:%28MHNT%29_Allium_vineale_-_inflorescence_immature.jpg) ## Appearance The wild garlic has thin, grass-like leaves that are hollow and cylindrical. Its small, white to pinkish-purple flowers grow in a rounded cluster, often replaced by tiny green or purple aerial bulblets at the top of the stem. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Liliopsida - **Order:** Asparagales - **Family:** Amaryllidaceae - **Genus:** Allium ## Interesting facts - Historically, wild garlic was sometimes used in old folk remedies. - If cows eat too much, their milk can actually taste garlicky! - Its potent garlic smell helps it scare away most hungry forest critters. - This plant can make its own mini-clones right on its stem! ## Special abilities - **Bulbil Bombs:** Wild garlic can grow tiny 'baby bulbs' (bulbils) on its flower stalk, which fall off and start new plants without needing seeds! - **Stinky Shield:** It has a super strong oniony smell that helps keep many hungry animals from nibbling its leaves and bulbs, defending itself. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 30-80 cm - **Flower Size:** 0.3-0.5 cm - **Bloom Season:** Late spring to early summer - **Edible:** Yes - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — collects nectar for honey - **Pollinates:** [bumblebee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/bumblebee) (*Bombus terrestris*) — gathers pollen from its blooms - **Eats:** humans (*Homo sapiens*) — leaves and bulbils can be foraged ## 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. - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Grass-Like](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grass-like): Grass-like plants are herbaceous plants that visually resemble true grasses, typically having long, narrow leaves. - [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. - [Fragrant Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fragrant-flower): Fragrant flowers emit a pleasant aroma, often to attract pollinators or for defense. - [Edible](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/edible): Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption. - [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms. - [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. - [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always check with an adult before picking or eating any wild plants. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify wild garlic? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is wild garlic? 30-80 cm ### How big are the flowers on wild garlic? 0.3-0.5 cm ### When does wild garlic bloom? Late spring to early summer ### Is wild garlic edible? Yes ### Is wild garlic toxic? None ### What is wild garlic's lifecycle? Perennial ### How is wild garlic pollinated? Insect ## Where to spot - [Ashton Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/ashton-historic-district) — Rhode Island, US · Historic District - [Battle Creek Cypress Swamp Sanctuary](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/battle-creek-cypress-swamp-sanctuary) — Maryland, US · Nature Reserve - [Chadwick Arboretum](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/chadwick-arboretum) — Ohio, US · Botanical Garden - [Concord Monument Square-Lexington Road Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/concord-monument-square-lexington-road-historic-district) — Massachusetts, US · Historic District - [Fairlie-Poplar](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/fairlie-poplar) — Georgia, US · Neighborhood - [Fort Monroe National Monument](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/fort-monroe-national-monument) — Virginia, US · National Park [View all places to see wild garlic](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/wild-garlic) ## 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*) --- Source: [Wild Garlic: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/wild-garlic)