Allium triquetrum
three-cornered garlic
Overview
Allium triquetrum is a bulb-forming perennial native to the Mediterranean and naturalized widely in mild, moist regions, where it often spreads to form dense colonies. It grows 10-20 inches (25-50 cm) tall from a small white bulb, with two to three narrow, keeled leaves that are sharply three-angled in cross section, the triangular stem behind both its botanical and common names. In late winter and spring each plant sends up a three-sided flowering stalk bearing a one-sided, drooping cluster of six to twelve white bell-shaped flowers, each petal marked with a slender green stripe down the center. The whole plant smells of garlic when bruised, and the leaves, flowers, and bulbs are edible with a mild onion-garlic flavor. After flowering the foliage yellows and dies back, with the plant dormant through summer. It multiplies quickly by offset bulbs and by seed dispersed by ants, and is listed as an invasive weed in California, parts of Australia, and other regions where it crowds out native ground flora. It grows in part shade to sun on moist, fertile soil, spreading fastest in cool, damp conditions, and is hard to remove once the bulbs are established.
Native Range
Native to the western Mediterranean region of southern Europe and North Africa. It is naturalized in Britain, the Pacific coast of North America, Australia, New Zealand, and other mild, moist areas, where it grows in shaded banks, hedgerows, woodland edges, and damp roadsides.Suggested Uses
Grown as an edible wild onion for leaves and flowers and, in suitable climates, as a shade-tolerant naturalizing bulb. Given its invasive spread, it suits contained plantings, pots, and managed edible patches rather than open ground in mild regions.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height10" - 1'8"
Width/Spread4" - 8"
Reaches mature size in approximately 2 years
Bloom Information
Detailed Descriptions
Flower Description
White with green stripeFoliage Description
GreenGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 3-8 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
Care & Maintenance
Care Guide
Grows in part shade to full sun on moist, fertile soil and naturalizes fastest in cool, damp ground. It is hardy in USDA zones 7-10 and needs no care once established, multiplying by offset bulbs and seed. Because it spreads aggressively and is invasive in many regions, it is often confined to containers or contained beds. Lifting bulbs to control it tends to leave small offsets behind that regrow. The foliage and flowers can be harvested for the kitchen through the growing season. It goes dormant in summer and reappears in autumn or winter.Pruning
No pruning is needed. Removing the flower stalks before seed sets reduces spread by seed, though bulb offsets still multiply. Dying foliage can be cleared once it has yellowed and pulls away easily.Container Growing
✓ Suitable for container growing
Minimum container size: 1 gallons