Allium triquetrum
| Allium triquetrum | |
| Light: |    |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 8 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 1' |
| Blooms: | Mid Spring-Early Summer |
| Open Woods Forest | |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Allium triquetrum (common name: three-cornered leek)
Propagation: Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a greenhouse or cold frame. It germinates quickly and can be grown on in the greenhouse for the first year, planting out the dormant bulbs in the late summer of the following year if they have developed sufficiently, otherwise grow on in pots for a further year. Stored seed can be sown in spring in a greenhouse.
Division in summer after the plants have died down. Very easy, the divisions can be planted straight out into their permanent positions.
Cultivation: Prefers a rich moist but well-drained soil[1][2]. Shade tolerant[3], it is easily grown in a cool leafy soil[4] and grows well in light moist woodland[5].
Plants are not very hardy outside the milder areas of Britain, they tolerate temperatures down to between -5 and -10°c.
The bulbs should be planted fairly deeply[1].
The seeds have an oil-bearing appendage which is attractive to ants. The ants carry the seed away to eat the oil and then discard the seed, thus aiding dispersal of the plant[5].
Grows well with most plants, especially roses, carrots, beet and chamomile, but it inhibits the growth of legumes[6][7][8]. This plant is a bad companion for alfalfa, each species negatively affecting the other[9].
The flowers are sweetly scented[10]. The picked flowers can remain fresh for several weeks[11].
Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer[12].
Range: S. Europe. Naturalized in Britain in S.W. England[13].
Habitat: Hedge banks and waste places on damp soils[13][4].
Edibility: Bulb - raw or cooked. The rather small bulb is up to 20mm in diameter[14], it has a mild garlic flavour and can be used as a flavouring in salads and cooked foods. It is harvested in early summer when the plant has died down and will store for at least 6 months[K].
Leaves - raw or cooked. A leek substitute[15]. The leaves are available from late autumn until the spring, they are nice in salads when they are young, or cooked as a vegetable or flavouring as they get older[K]. The leaves have a milder and more delicate flavour than onions[16].
Flowers - raw. Juicy with a mild garlic flavour, they make a tasty and decorative garnish on 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[7].
Pollinators: Bees, insects
Notes: This one will naturalize itself in hedgerows or the sunnier spots in a woodland garden
Soil: Can grow in light and medium soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
In Leaf: Late Winter-Mid Summer
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
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ Grey, Charles. Hardy Bulbs. Williams & Norgate, 1938.
- ↑ Brown, George. Shade Plants for Garden and Woodland.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Phillips, Roger and Martyn Rix. Bulbs. Pan Books, 1989.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Davies, Dilys. Alliums: The Ornamental Onions. Batsford, 1992.
- ↑ Philbrick, Helen and Richard Gregg. Companion Plants. Watkins, 1979.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 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.
- ↑ Genders, Roy. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale, 1994.
- ↑ Polunin, Oleg. Flowers of the Mediterranean. Hogarth Press, 1987.
- ↑ Thomas, Graham. Perennial Garden Plants. J. M. Dent & Sons, 1990.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Clapham, Arthur and Tom Tootin, Edmund Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press, 1962.
- ↑ Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ Douglas, James. Alternative Foods.
- ↑ Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.