Allium ampeloprasum aka Broadleaf Wild Leek

Allium ampeloprasum, also known as wild leek or broadleaf wild leek, is a member of the onion genus Allium. Native to southern Europe to western Asia, it is cultivated in many places and has become naturalized in various countries. Its native range includes countries bordering the Black, Adriatic, and Mediterranean Seas, as well as Ethiopia, Uzbekistan, Iran, and Iraq. It is considered naturalized in several countries including the United Kingdom, Ireland, the Czech Republic, and Australia, among others. In tidewater Virginia, it is protected by law. Allium ampeloprasum has been differentiated into five cultivated vegetables, including leek, elephant garlic, pearl onion, kurrat, and Persian leek. The wild populations produce bulbs up to 3 cm across, with scapes reaching up to 180 cm tall and bearing an umbel of up to 500 flowers. The flowers are urn-shaped, with white, pink, or red tepals and yellow or purple anthers. As a deciduous, bulbous perennial, it can be grown as an ornamental or annual vegetable, producing mid-green strap-shaped leaves and dense spherical heads of white flowers in mid to late summer. Elephant Garlic, a relative of Allium ampeloprasum, is a rare houseplant that thrives with regular watering and direct light. It prefers well-draining soil and does not typically require added fertilizers if repotted when it doubles in size. Native to Macronesia, the Mediterranean, and Asia, it belongs to the Allium genus.