This is Not Wild Garlic!

A commonly Made Mistake

The above plant is not Wild Garlic.  The one to the right is.  It is a very commonly mistaken for it, but there are a number of obvious differences:

• It has a three sided flowering stem, where as Garlic has a rounded stem.
• It flowers earlier than Wild Garlic and can continues to throw off flowers at obscure times of the year.  The Garlic, on the other hand has all its flowers at the same time in April.
• It has thin leaves, instead of the flat rounded leaves of the Wild Garlic.
• It is not anything like as nice to eat as the Garlic and in large quantities; can cause mild effects of poisoning.

 The plant was brought over, as usual; to grow in peoples gardens, where it quickly takes over and becomes a weed in everyone elses garden.The Three Cornered Leek or Stinking Onion Allium Triquetrum is an invasive weed from Southern Europe, where it grows along the coast of the Mediterranean.  It is also said to grow along the Pacific coasts of Oregon and California.

I think Torquay in South Devon provides a very good example of how bad this plant can get.  In Cornwall too, especially in gardens and woods around seaside towns, usually if it is present; its in every garden, but sometimes also in hedges and woodland. 

I find that, even in areas, where this plant is very common and a real nuisance; most people think it's Wild Garlic, but it most defiantly is not!  I hope they haven't tried eating it!