White garlic is a bulb in the onion family (Amaryllidaceae) native to the Mediterranean region. It has naturalized in CA, AL, GA and Florida. It is considered invasive in parts of the country. Plant in well-drained soils in full sun. It will grow to 1 foot tall and spread 1-2 feet by bulb offsets and seed. The plant has clusters of showy white flowers with yellow anthers in May-June atop strap-like green leaves. The flowers attract bees and butterflies and the plant is deer resistant. Use in rock gardens, naturalized areas or cottage gardens en masse. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Weedy. No significant problems. Bulb mites can occur. Bulb rot can occur in too wet soils. VIDEO Created by Elisabeth Meyer for "Edibles, Bulbs, and Houseplants," a plant identification course developed in partnership with Longwood Gardens. More information on Allium .
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil drainage
Good Drainage
Available space
Less than 12 inches
NC region
Coastal; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 0 ft. 6 in. - 1 ft. 6 in. | Width: 1 ft. 0 in. - 2 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (1-3 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect
Texture
Medium
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Rosulate
Leaf shape
Linear
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf value
Fragrant
Leaf size
> 6 inches long, < 1 inch wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Leaves are basal 20" long and 1" wide, slender and flat. Smells of garlic or onion.
Flower color
White
Flower value
Good Cut
Flower form
Umbel
Flower shape
Star
Flower size
1-3 inches
Flower detail
White flowers with yellow anthers in 3-4 inch clusters in spring to early summer. Individual flowers are small, 6-parted and star-shaped.
Bloom time
Spring; Summer
Fruit type
Capsule
Stem color
Green
Stem detail
Slightly winged green stem
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
Southern Europe and northern Africa
Food & Medicine
Edible parts
Leaves
Fruit type
Capsule
Edibility
Leaves, bulbs, and bulblets are edible. However, the plant also has poisonous characteristics as noted in the "Poisonous to Humans" section of this record. Toxicity can depend on the age of the person or animal, the age of the plant, the part of the plant ingested, how much is ingested, whether the person or animal has sensitivities or allergies, whether it's eaten raw or cooked, and so forth. Consult with a medical professional for further details.