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Society Garlic

Tulbaghia violacea (tul-BAG-ee-uh vy-oh-LAH-say-uh)

Family: Amaryllidaceae Non-native Herbaceous (1-3 ft)

Society Garlic is a tender perennial in the Amaryllidaceae family. Leaves and rootstock have a strong garlic smell when bruised, hence the common name. The plants have good drought and heat tolerance but do best with adequate moisture during the growing season. In cooler regions, they grow as annuals in patio or deck containers. Or they can be brought indoors to overwinter. They can survive the winter in the ground if provided with protection and adequate mulch. They work well in rock or herb gardens or planted along borders and edges. This plant is moderately salt tolerant. The edible flowers have an oniony to peppery flavor and may be eaten raw or cooked. Seasons of Interest: Bloom: Early Summer to Fall Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No serious insect or disease problem. Slugs and snails may damage the foliage. Plants this may be confused with: Garlic chives Allium tuberosum

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 53 attributes.

How it fits the guild

Guild layer 4 - Herbaceous (1-3 ft)
See companions & conflicts ↓

Companions & Conflicts

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.

Often confused with Allium tuberosum
Fills a similar niche Salvia rosmarinus Thymus vulgaris x Heucherella

Full plant profile

Growing Conditions
Plant type
Edible; Ground Cover; Perennial
Life cycle
Bulb; Perennial
USDA zones
7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; High Organic Matter; Sand
Soil drainage
Good Drainage
NC region
Coastal; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 1 ft. 0 in. - 2 ft. 0 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
Arching; Clumping; Erect
Texture
Fine
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Rosulate
Leaf shape
Linear
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf feel
Smooth
Leaf size
> 6 inches long, < 1 inch wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Linear green grass-like leaves are arching and smell of garlic when crushed
Flower color
Pink; Purple/Lavender
Flower value
Edible; Fragrant
Flower form
Umbel
Flower shape
Star; Tubular
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
20” stalks tall bearing terminal umbels of fragrant lilac-pink flowers. 3/4 inch flowers have 6 pointed tepals and a center tubular corolla.
Bloom time
Fall; Spring; Summer
Fruit type
Capsule
Fruit detail
Triangular capsules split to reveal small black seeds
Stem color
Green
Stem detail
20-inch smooth green stems
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
South Africa
Food & Medicine
Edible parts
Leaves; Flowers
Fruit type
Capsule

Edibility

Flowers and leaves are edible (mild garlic flavor), and may be used in soups and salads.

Landscape Use
Landscape location
Container; Patio; Walkways
Landscape theme
Drought Tolerant Garden; Edible Garden; Fairy Garden; Rock Garden
Design feature
Border
Garden tags
#heat tolerant #salt tolerant #drought tolerant #fragrant leaves #deck planting #fragrant flowers #border planting #rock garden #lavender flowers #edging #container plant #patio #herb garden #edible #fairy garden
Problems & Resistance
Resistant to
Deer; Drought; Heat; Humidity; Salt
Propagation
Root Cutting

Planted at Hunnicutt

Nobody’s planted this one yet.