| Allium vineale | ||||||||||||||||||
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 Flowerhead showing bulbils and a few flowers
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| Scientific classification | ||||||||||||||||||
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| Binomial name | ||||||||||||||||||
| Allium vineale L. |
Allium vineale (Crow Garlic or Wild Onion) is a perennial bulbflower in the genus Allium, native to Europe, north Africa and western Asia. The species is introduced in Australia and North America, where it has become an invasive species. All parts of the plant have a strong garlic odor. The underground bulb is 1-2 cm diameter, with a fibrous outer layer. The main stem grows to 30-120 cm tall, bearing 2-4 leaves and an apical inflorescence 2-5 cm diameter comprising a number of small bulbils and none to a few flowers, subtended by a basal bract. The leaves are slender hollow tubular, 15-60 cm long and 2-4 mm thick, waxy textured, with a groove along the side of the leaf facing the stem. The flowers are 2-5 mm long, with six petals varying in colour from pink to red or greenish-white. It flowers in the summer, June to August in northern Europe. Plants with no flowers, only bulbils, are sometimes distinguished as the variety Allium vineale var. compactum, but this character is probably not taxonomically significant.
Uses and problems
Crow Garlic can be used as a substitute for garlic. It imparts a garlic-like flavour and odor on dairy and beef products when grazed by livestock. It is sometimes considered a weed, as grain products may become tainted with a garlic odor or flavour in the presence of aerial bulblets at the time of harvest. Wild garlics is resistant to herbicides due to the structure of its leaves, being vertical, smooth and waxy. Herbicides do not cling well to it and are therefore not as effective.
