Wild garlic

Short Description

Wild garlic can grow to up to 50 cm in height.

The leaves have a pronounced stalk and are elliptical to lance-shaped. The midrib is clearly visible. The upper side is glossy and the underside matt. Like the whole plant, they smell strongly of garlic.

The stem grows from an elongated slender bulb. It is generally triangular and only has leaves at ground level.

The more or less spherical flower head consists of numerous individual florets with six white petals.

The fruits are tripartite seed capsules.

Features

Wild garlic

Allium ursinum

strong garlicky smell
Leaves with stalk
Be careful - similar species are very poisonous!

Similar species

Lily of the valley

Convallaria majalis

Be careful - very poisonous! The leaves have no stalk. The flowers are shaped like wide bells. The characteristic garlic smell is absent.

Cuckoopint

Arum maculatum

Be careful - very poisonous! The leaves are shaped like arrowheads and generally speckled. The flowers are enclosed in a white leaf-like hood (floral bract). The characteristic garlic smell is absent.

Colchicum autumnale

Be careful - very poisonous! The leaves are narrow, elongated and lance-shaped and grow from a brown-scaly corm. The characteristic garlic smell is absent. There are no flowers in spring.

In the city

In an urban environment, wild garlic can often be found in deciduous forests or along streams. It prefers damp and shady sites with rich soils.

Wild garlic is gathered in early April and eaten fresh or processed further. Great caution is advised as the leaves can be easily confused with those of the poisonous plants lily of the valley, autumn crocus or arum lily.

Fun Facts

In some areas of Germany, e.g. Brandenburg, wild garlic is threatened with extinction.
It flowers from April to May.
Endangerment level Germany: not endangered
Wild garlic is a well-known vegetable, herb and medicinal plant. The leaves can be used for seasoning or to make pesto.

Sources

Habitus, Lisa Carter, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ramsons_700.jpg

Blütenstand, Uoaei1, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Allium_ursinum_Bl%C3%BCte_01.JPG

Blätter, Pleple2000, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Zbiorowisko_Allium_ursinum_1pl.jpg

Spohn, M., Golte-Bechtle, M. & Spohn, R. (2015) Was blüht denn da? Stuttgart: Franckh Kosmos Verlag.

Fleischhauer, S. G., Guthmann, J. & Spiegelberger, R. (2007) Essbare Wildpflanzen. 200 Arten bestimmen und verwenden, Baden und München: AT Verlag.

Lippert, W. & Podlech, D. (1993) GU Naturführer. Blumen: die wichtigen Blütenpflanzen Mitteleuropas erkennen und bestimmen, München: Gräfe und Unzer Verlag.

Needon, C. & Petermann, J. (1991) Urania-Naturführer Pflanzen, Leipzig, Jena, Berlin: Urania-Verlag.

Schauer, T., Caspari, C. & Caspari, S. (2015) Der illustrierte BLV-Pflanzenführer für unterwegs. 1150 Blumen, Gräser, Bäume und Sträucher, München: BLV.

Scherf, G. (2006) Wildpflanzen neu entdecken, München: BLV.

Page „Bärlauch“. : Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Date of last revision: 06.10.2016, 17:58 UTC. URL: https://de.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=B%C3%A4rlauch&oldid=158530308 (Accessed: 20.10.2016).