Wild Garlic

Wild Garlic

Allium vineale L.

Liliaceae (Lily Family)

▲ ▼ mature plants in late fall through early spring

▲ leaves

▲ ▼ inflorescences, showing little bulbils forming

▲ ▼ bulb

Wild Garlic/Wild Onion:

Cool-season growing wild forms of garlic/onion with narrow, grass-like leaves and a garlic/onion odor
Both produce hardshell bulb offsets underground that can have a 5+ year dormancy
The dormant, hardshell bulbs reduce drying, weathering, herbicides
Consuming either one can affect milk, meat, flour/feed flavor, plus can cause toxic effects if consumed in higher quantities affects crop quality (odor/flavor)
- Wild Garlic is native to Europe and has round, hollow stems--more commonly seen
- Wild Onion is a U.S. native has flattened, solid leaves
Can be distinguished from false garlic, by lack of odor of false garlic leaves, and smaller flower clusters on false garlic
Can be distinguished from star-of-bethelehem by lack of odor and flatter leaves with prominent white midvein on star-of-bethlehem
Control:
- competition from shading crops;
- mowing and tillage ineffective because of hardshell bulbs;
- chemical control by use of postemergent broadleaf herbicides when plants actively growing in late fall, early spring;
- repeat application may be needed.