Scientific Name
Allium spp.
Common Name
Wild garlic, meadow garlic

CAUSES ONLY LOW TOXICITY IF EATEN.

Characteristics

Family
Liliaceae
Plant Description
Bulbous herb with characteristic onion or garlic odor; leaves long, slender, flat or cylindrical and hollow; flowers small, 6-parted, in a cluster at the top of a naked stem.
Origin
Northern hemisphere, North America and Eurasia.
Distribution
Throughout.
Where Found
Forest and natural areas as native herbaceous plants; landscape as cultivated perennial; weedy in disturbed areas.
Mode
Ingestion.
Poisonous Part
All parts; bulbs, bulblets, flowers, and stems.
Symptoms
Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea.
Edibility
EDIBLE PARTS: Leaves, bulbs and bulblets. Field garlic (A. vineale) is too strong for most tastes. HARVEST TIME: Only collect plants from areas you know have NOT been treated with pesticides. Gather leaves during spring and fall. Gather bulbs in the second year when they are large enough to use like cultivated onions. Flower stem bulblets are collected during the summer. SAFE HANDLING PROCEDURES: Wash leaves, bulbs and bulblets in warm water to remove dirt and debris. Do not use dish detergent or any type of sanitizer. These products can leave a residue. Use as domestic onions, for seasoning or raw in salads. Bulbs can be used raw, boiled, pickled or for seasoning. Their strong taste can be reduced by parboiling and discarding the water. To freeze onions or garlic, one should coarsely chop, blanch two minutes, drain, pat dry and place them into plastic bags. The bulbs can also be dried for use as seasoning. Use flower bulbs to flavor soup or for pickling. SOURCE: Larson, Ken. 1995. God's Free Harvest, Rhema Publishing, Inc., Suwanee, GA. 231 pp.
Toxic Principle
Sulfides.
Severity
CAUSES ONLY LOW TOXICITY IF EATEN.

"Poisonous Plants of North Carolina," Dr. Alice B. Russell, Department of Horticultural Science; Dr. James W. Hardin, Botany; Dr. Larry Grand, Plant Pathology; and Dr. Angela Fraser, Family and Consumer Sciences; North Carolina State University. All Pictures Copyright @1997Alice B. Russell, James W. Hardin, Larry Grand. Computer programming, Miguel A. Buendia; graphics, Brad Capel.

Disclaimer: The list of poisonous plants on this web site does not necessarily include every poisonous plant that is known, or that might be found in an urban landscape or home. North Carolina State University does not advise eating any of the plants included in this web site. The information concerning edibility is taken from the literature, and the degree of reliability is unknown. We discourage the use of any of these plants for self medication. In cases of accidental exposure or ingestion, contact the Poison Control Center 1-800-222-1222.

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