Stats

Lifespan: Perennial
Size: Medium
Diet: Photosynthetic
Biome: Mediterranean shrubland
Range: Southern Europe to western Asia
Movement: Sessile
Breeding: Bulbs
Defense: Toxins
Status: Uncommon

About

The wild leek is the ancestor of both elephant garlic and the cultivated leek, forming enormous spherical flower heads atop stems that can reach two metres tall. Its bulbs contain potent compounds that deter burrowing pests, making it a natural companion plant in kitchen gardens.

Life cycle

1.
seed
A dormant seed waits for water and warmth before germinating.
2.
sprout
A first shoot emerges with cotyledon leaves and a tap root reaching down.
3.
sapling
A young plant grows true leaves and a stem or trunk, putting on height each season.
4.
mature
Fully grown, flowering or fruiting at adult size.

Learn more

Taxonomy

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Class: Liliopsida
Order: Asparagales
Family: Amaryllidaceae
Genus: Allium
Species: Allium ampeloprasum