Allium nigrum subsp. multibulbosum

Allium nigrum subsp. multibulbosum, also known as Indian garlic, is a wild bulbous plant with a distinct design, featuring broad leaves and large umbels of star-shaped, sparkling flowers. They are predominantly white, with a heart ranging from green to deep purple-black. This hardy species blooms in late spring or early summer in full sun and well-drained soils that are rather dry in winter and summer. Its charming flowering emits a subtle sweet fragrance, which is very pleasant in bouquets. It is perfect for brightening up sunny borders in a wild garden, planted in small groups among other field plants.

Allium nigrum is native to Mediterranean regions, Western Asia, and North Africa. Its subspecies multibulbosum, which is discussed here, is rather widespread in the Middle East: it can be found in Turkey, Cyprus, Syria, Lebanon, and Israel. Highly resistant to cold, it requires a very sunny exposure and soil that does not retain water. These plants belong to the Amaryllidaceae family.

It is a perennial herbaceous plant with a bulb that can reach a diameter of 5cm (2in). The foliage emerges in winter in warm climates, but appears later in cold and humid climates, usually in April. The 3 to 5 beautiful leaves of this ornamental garlic are particularly broad and resemble those of leeks. They reach a width of 2 to 3cm (1in) and a length of 50 to 60cm (20 to 24in). They are flat, linear, slightly curled at the edges, tapered at their tips, and light green in colour. Initially upright, they bend over at a later stage. Unlike the leaves of many species, the leaves of Allium nigrum do not possess the characteristic onion, leek, or garlic smell typical of the genus. The flower stem, 60 to 70cm (24 to 28in) tall, is leafless, thick, and sturdy. From late May to early June (earlier in warm climates), pretty 8 to 10cm (3 to 4in) wide umbels composed of about twenty 9mm star-shaped flowers open, with pinkish-white petals traversed by a green median line, revealing a heart of purple or yellow anther stamens and black-purple carpels. Their mild and sweet fragrance, as well as their richness in nectar, attracts pollinating insects. The seeds, which are produced in large quantities, easily self-sow in light soil. This allium produces bulblets attached to the mother bulb.

Attention: it is sensitive to rot in overly moist soil in summer and/or waterlogged soil in winter.

It is charming in sunny borders, especially in a wild garden or in a naturalistic-inspired bed. It combines beautifully with small ornamental grasses such as Stipa tenuifolia or S. barbata, as well as with thistles (Eryngium giganteum, echinops), nigellas, eremurus, or even the ornamental carrot Daucus carota 'Dara', for example. Place it in small groups of 3 to 5 bulbs among other plants, and it will quickly multiply and form dense clumps that can be divided after 3 or 4 years.