Allium tricoccum
wide leek
Overview
Allium tricoccum is a spring-ephemeral bulb-forming perennial of the onion family, growing from clustered white bulbs 0.75-1.5 inches (2-4 cm) long. In early spring it produces two or three smooth, flat, elliptical leaves 6-12 inches (15-30 cm) long and 1-3 inches (2.5-7.5 cm) wide, with reddish to burgundy lower stalks; the whole plant carries a strong onion-garlic odor. The leaves yellow and die back by late spring, before the flower stalk appears. A leafless stalk 6-18 inches (15-45 cm) tall then bears a rounded umbel of 30-50 small creamy-white, six-petaled flowers in June and July. Flowers give way to clusters of shiny black, round seeds in three-lobed capsules. Plants spread slowly by bulb offsets and seed, forming dense colonies over many years; seed-grown plants take 5-7 years to reach harvest size. Both bulbs and leaves are edible with a pronounced onion-garlic flavor. Slow regeneration leaves wild populations sensitive to heavy harvesting.
Native Range
Native to eastern North America, from Quebec and Ontario south through the Appalachians to Georgia and west to Minnesota and Iowa. Grows in rich, moist, deciduous forests and shaded slopes with deep leaf-litter soils, often in large colonies.Suggested Uses
Grown in shaded woodland and native plant gardens as a spring ephemeral and as an edible harvested for its bulbs and leaves. Suited to naturalizing under deciduous trees in moist, humus-rich soil at 4-6 inch (10-15 cm) spacing. Slow establishment and sensitivity to over-harvest limit its use as a quick edible crop.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height6" - 1'6"
Width/Spread6" - 1'
Bloom Information
Blooms in June and July, after the leaves have withered. Each umbel flowers for 2-3 weeks. The white flowers rise on a bare stalk well after the spring foliage has gone. Black seeds ripen from late summer into autumn.
Detailed Descriptions
Foliage Description
greenGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Tolerates up to 4 hours of direct sunlight daily
• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight
• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight
• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight