Elephant Garlic
Allium ampeloprasum
Amaryllidaceae
Other names
Great-Headed Garlic, Levant Garlic
Growth habit
Geophyte
Perennation
Long-lived polycarpic perennial
Native distribution
Europe, N. Africa, Asia
Biocultural value
Extremely large bulbs yield mild garlic flavored cloves.
Location
Source of plant
Cornell Botanic Gardens, George W. Park Seed Co. Inc., Glenn Bucien
Description
Stem 45-185cm tall; bulb 2-6cm wide, tunic yellow, membranous, bulblets numerous. Leaves to 50cm long and 4cm wide, 4-10 per bulb, flat with rough margins sheathing the lower half of the stem, senescent before flowering. Flowers cup-shaped, to 500 per spherical umbel, tepals keeled, pink ordark red, stamens exserted.
USDA Hardiness Zone
6
Special characteristics
food