Allium senescens

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Allium senescens
Light:Full Sun
Moisture:Xeric Mesic
Hardiness:5
Soil pH:5.6-8.4
Self Pollinated
Height:1'
Width:1'
Blooms:Early Summer-Mid Summer
Native to:
Edible Rating:PFAF Edibility RatingPFAF Edibility RatingPFAF Edibility RatingPFAF Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating:PFAF Medicinal RatingPFAF Medicinal RatingPFAF Medicinal RatingPFAF Medicinal Rating
Tea:Yes
Poisonous

Allium senescens (common name: german garlic)

Propagation: Seed - sow spring in a cold frame. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle - if you want to produce clumps more quickly then put three plants in each pot. Grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter and plant them out into their permanent positions in spring once they are growing vigorously and are large enough.

Division in spring. Very easy, the plants divide successfully at any time in the growing season and the divisions can be planted straight out into their permanent positions if required.

Cultivation: Prefers a sunny position in a light well-drained soil[1]. Established plants are fairly drought tolerant[2].

A very ornamental plant[3], it is frequently confused with A. montanum[1].

The bulbs should be planted fairly deeply[1]. Most members of this genus are intolerant of competition from other growing plants[4].

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: C. Europe to Siberia

Habitat: Dry, usually rocky places[10].

Edibility: Bulb - raw or cooked[11][12][13][14]. An onion substitute[15][16]. The small bulbs are formed in clusters on a rhizome and are up to 10mm in diameter[17].

Leaves - raw or cooked[14][16]. A fairly strong onion flavour with a slight bitterness, but acceptable raw[K]. We use them in salads or as a flavouring in cooked foods[K].

Flowers - raw or cooked. An attractive garnish in salads[K].

Medicinal: Although no specific mention of medicinal uses has been seen for this species, members of this genus are in general very healthy additions to the diet. They contain sulphur compounds (which give them their onion flavour) and when added to the diet on a regular basis they help reduce blood cholesterol levels, act as a tonic to the digestive system and also tonify the circulatory system[K].

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, flies, beetles, lepidoptera, self

Soil: Can grow in light and medium soils.

Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.

Flower Type: Hermaphrodite

Known Hazards: Although no individual reports regarding this species have been seen, there have been cases of poisoning caused by the consumption, in very large quantities and by some mammals, of certain members of this genus. Dogs seem to be particularly susceptible[7

Also Known As: A. lusitanicum.

Links

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
  2. ↑ Chatto, Beth. The Damp Garden. Dent, 1982.
  3. ↑ Grey, Charles. Hardy Bulbs. Williams & Norgate, 1938.
  4. ↑ Davies, Dilys. Alliums: The Ornamental Onions. Batsford, 1992.
  5. ↑ Philbrick, Helen and Richard Gregg. Companion Plants. Watkins, 1979.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Riotte, Louise. Carrots Love Tomatoes. Garden Way, 1978.
  7. ↑ Hatfield, Audrey. How to Enjoy your Weeds. Frederick Muller Ltd, 1974.
  8. ↑ Allardice, Pamela. A-Z of Companion Planting. Cassell Publishers, 1993.
  9. ↑ Thomas, Graham. Perennial Garden Plants. J. M. Dent & Sons, 1990.
  10. ↑ Tutin, Tom et al.. Flora Europaea. Cambridge University Press, 1964.
  11. ↑ Hedrick, Ulysses. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications, 1972.
  12. ↑ Uphof, Johannes. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim, 1959.
  13. ↑ Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
  15. ↑ Douglas, James. Alternative Foods.
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 Kunkel, Günther. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books, 1984.
  17. ↑ Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.


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