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Everything You Need To Know Wild Garlic
Background
Native to Britain, Wild Garlic is a bulbous plant that is known as many different names such as Bear leek, Bear’s garlic, Ramson and Buckrams. Flowering in the early Spring, wild garlic can grow up to heights between 45 and 50cm tall.
The Wild Garlic bulbs are commonly widespread across the UK – it’s formed in dense clusters upon ancient woodland floors. Wild garlic is always a sign that the woodland is very old! It favours chalky soils and can also be spotted in scrub and hedgerows, but prefers damp areas.
The ramson is not to be confused with the lily-of-the-valley when not in flower – this can be distinguished through only having two or three leaves on it’s stem and also through it’s more bell-shaped flowers. To say it’s important to know the difference would be an understatement, as the lilies are poisonous to eat.
Appearance
The leaves are long and oval in shape, growing from the plant base. Of course, they also carry a very strong garlic scent!
The flowers are small and white with around six petals on a single thin and leafless stalk.
Wild garlic reproduces through bulbs, bulbils and occasionally seeds – the seeds are 2–3mm long, flattish on one side and black.
Uses and health benefits
Both the leaves and the flowers are edible – adding a delicious and powerful garlic aroma and taste to various different dishes.
Wild garlic is also thought to lower cholesterol and blood-pressure, consequently reduce the risk of diseases such as heart attack or stroke.
Other uses could include boiling the garlic and liquefying it to use it as a disinfectant. It’s also known to repel cats, so this could be a great addition to a garden.
Grow your own wild garlic in your garden here: https://woodland-bulbs.co.uk/product/wild-garlic-allium-ursinum/
