Allium vineale
| Allium vineale | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |   |
| Hardiness: | 5 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Self Pollinated | |
| Height: | 2' |
| Width: | 0.2' |
| Blooms: | Early Summer-Mid Summer |
| Meadows | |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Allium vineale (common name: crow garlic)
Propagation: Plants do not need any encouragement, they are more than capable of propagating themselves. Bulbils are produced in abundance in the summer and are the main means by which the plant spreads.
Cultivation: Prefers a sunny position in a light well-drained soil[1].
The bulbs should be planted fairly deeply[1].
Grows well with most plants, especially roses, carrots, beet and chamomile, but it inhibits the growth of legumes[2][3][4]. This plant is a bad companion for alfalfa, each species negatively affecting the other[5].
This species is a pernicious weed of grassland in Britain[1], spreading freely by means of its bulbils[6].
Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer[7].
Range: Much of Europe, including Britain, to N. Africa and Lebanon.
Habitat: Fields and roadsides to elevations of 450 metres in Britain, often a serious weed of pastures[8].
Edibility: Leaves - raw or cooked[9][10]. Rather stringy, they are used as a garlic substitute[11][12][K]. The leaves are available from late autumn until the following summer, when used sparingly they make a nice addition to the salad bowl[13][14][K].
Bulb - used as a flavouring[15][16][10]. Rather small, with a very strong flavour and odour[14]. The bulbs are 10 - 20mm in diameter[17].
Bulbils - raw or cooked. Rather small and fiddly, they have a strong garlic-like flavour[K].
Medicinal: The whole plant is antiasthmatic, blood purifier, carminative, cathartic, diuretic, expectorant, hypotensive, stimulant and vasodilator[3][18]. A tincture is used to prevent worms and colic in children, and also as a remedy for croup[18]. The raw root can be eaten to reduce blood pressure and also to ease shortness of breath[18].
Although no other 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[3]. The juice of the plant can be rubbed on exposed parts of the body to repel biting insects, scorpions etc[18].
Pollinators: Insects, self
Soil: Can grow in light and medium soils.
In Leaf: Mid Fall-Late Summer
Seed Ripens: Late Summer-Early Fall
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Known Hazards: There have been cases of poisoning caused by the consumption, in large quantities and by some mammals, of this species. Dogs seem to be particularly susceptible[19].
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ Philbrick, Helen and Richard Gregg. Companion Plants. Watkins, 1979.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 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.
- ↑ Davies, Dilys. Alliums: The Ornamental Onions. Batsford, 1992.
- ↑ Thomas, Graham. Perennial Garden Plants. J. M. Dent & Sons, 1990.
- ↑ Clapham, Arthur and Tom Tootin, Edmund Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press, 1962.
- ↑ Mabey, Richard. Food for Free. Collins, 1974.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Kunkel, Günther. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books, 1984.
- ↑ Hedrick, Ulysses. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications, 1972.
- ↑ Loewenfeld, Claire and Philippa Back. Britain's Wild Larder. David and Charles.
- ↑ Ceres. Free for All. Thorsons Publishers, 1977.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
- ↑ Yanovsky, Elias. Food Plants of the North American Indians Publication 237. US Department of Agriculture.
- ↑ Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3 Moerman, Daniel. Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press, 1998.
- ↑ Cooper, Marion. Poisonous Plants in Britain and their Effects on Animals and Man. The Stationery Office, 1984.