Allium ampeloprasum babbingtonii
| Allium ampeloprasum | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |   |
| Hardiness: | 6 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 6' |
| Width: | 0.3' |
| Blooms: | Mid Summer-Late Summer |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Allium ampeloprasum babbingtonii (common name: babbington's leek)
Propagation: Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame, though it can also be sown in a cold frame in the spring[1]. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle. Well-grown plants can be planted out into their final positions in late summer or the autumn, otherwise grow them on for a further year in pots and plant them out the following summer. This species produces few if any seeds.
Division in late summer or early autumn. Dig up the bulbs when the plants are dormant and divide the small bulblets at the base of the larger bulb. Replant immediately, either in the open ground or in pots in a cold frame.
Bulbils - plant out as soon as they are ripe in late summer. The bulbils can be planted direct into their permanent positions, though you get better results if you pot them up and plant them out the following spring.
Cultivation: Prefers a sunny position in a light well-drained soil[2]. Succeeds in clay soils[3]. Tolerates a pH in the range 5.2 to 8.3.
The bulbs should be planted fairly deeply[2].
Closely allied to the wild leek, A. ampeloprasum, differing mainly in its having more bulbils and fewer flowers in the flowering head[4]. Plants can spread freely by means of their bulbils and sometimes become a weed in the garden[3].
Where the plant is found wild in Britain it might be as a relic of early cultivation in monasteries etc[3].
Grows well with most plants, especially roses, carrots, beet and chamomile, but it inhibits the growth of legumes[5][6][7]. This plant is a bad companion for alfalfa, each species negatively affecting the other[8].
Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer[9].
Range: Britain in S.W. England and the Channel Islands.
Habitat: Clefts of rocks and sandy places near the coast[4].
Edibility: Bulb - raw or cooked. The small bulbs can vary considerably in size from 2 - 6cm[1], they have a pleasant mild garlic flavour[K].
Leaves - raw or cooked. The young leaves are pleasant raw, older leaves quickly become fibrous and are best cooked. They have a nice leek flavour[K]. The plants come into new growth in early winter and the leaves are often available from January[K].
Flowers - raw. A pleasant mild garlic flavour, but with a rather dry texture[K]. This species produces mainly bulbils and very few flowers[K].
The bulbils have a mild garlic flavour and make a nice flavouring in salads and cooked foods. Although produced abundantly, they are quite fiddly to use because they are small[K]. They can also be pickled[10].
Medicinal: This species has the same medicinal virtues as garlic, but in a much milder and less effective form[11]. These virtues are as follows:-
Garlic has a very long folk history of use in a wide range of ailments, particularly ailments such as ringworm, Candida and vaginitis where its fungicidal, antiseptic, tonic and parasiticidal properties have proved of benefit[12]. It is also said to have anticancer activity[12]. Daily use of garlic in the diet has been shown to have a very beneficial effect on the body, especially the blood system and the heart. For example, demographic studies suggest that garlic is responsible for the low incidence of arteriosclerosis in areas of Italy and Spain where consumption of the bulb is heavy[13].
The bulb is said to be anthelmintic, antiasthmatic, anticholesterolemic, antiseptic, antispasmodic, cholagogue, diaphoretic, diuretic, expectorant, febrifuge, stimulant, stomachic, tonic, vasodilator[14][15][16][17][18][19]. The crushed bulb may be applied as a poultice to ease the pain of bites, stings etc[14][15][16][17].
Usage: The juice of the plant is used as a moth repellent. The whole plant is said to repel insects and moles[6].
Pollinators: Bees, insects
Notes: We could supply this in the next catalogue.
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Wind: Tolerates strong winds
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Heavy Clay: Grows in heavy-clay soils.
Known Hazards: Although no individual reports regarding this species have been seen, there have been cases of poisoning caused by the consumption, in large quantities and by some mammals, of certain members of this genus. Dogs seem to be particularly susceptible[20].
Also Known As: A. babbingtonii.
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Davies, Dilys. Alliums: The Ornamental Onions. Batsford, 1992.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Clapham, Arthur and Tom Tootin, Edmund Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press, 1962.
- ↑ Philbrick, Helen and Richard Gregg. Companion Plants. Watkins, 1979.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Riotte, Louise. Carrots Love Tomatoes. Garden Way, 1978.
- ↑ Hatfield, Audrey. How to Enjoy your Weeds. Frederick Muller Ltd, 1974.
- ↑ Allardice, Pamela. A-Z of Companion Planting. Cassell Publishers, 1993.
- ↑ Thomas, Graham. Perennial Garden Plants. J. M. Dent & Sons, 1990.
- ↑ Brouk, Bohuslav. Plants Consumed by Man. Academic Press, 1975.
- ↑ Bown, Deni. Royal Horticultural Society Encyclopaedia of Herbs and Their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, 1995.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Duke, James and Edward Ayensu. Medicinal Plants of China. Reference Publications, 1985.
- ↑ Foster, Steven and Billy Tatum. Medicinal Plants of Eastern and Central North America. Houghton Mifflin, 1990.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Grieve, Margaret. A Modern Herbal. Penguin, 1984.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Launert, Edmund. Edible and Medicinal Plants. Hamlyn, 1981.
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 Hylton, Josie and William Holtom. Complete Guide to Herbs. Rodale Press, 1979.
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 Lust, John. The Herb Book. Bantam Books, 1983.
- ↑ Uphof, Johannes. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim, 1959.
- ↑ Mills, Simon. The Dictionary of Modern Herbalism.
- ↑ Cooper, Marion. Poisonous Plants in Britain and their Effects on Animals and Man. The Stationery Office, 1984.