Allium carinatum aka Keeled Garlic

Allium carinatum, or keeled garlic, belongs to the amaryllis family. Its native range runs from Europe to northern Türkiye. It grows in temperate regions, in dry grassland and open woods. This bulbous perennial loses its leaves each year. It forms clumps but can spread fast through a planting. It is not native to Britain or Ireland.

Plants stand about 2 feet [0.6 metres] tall in flower. The garden height range is 1.6–3.3 feet [0.5–1 metre]. Spread ranges from 0.3–1.6 feet [0.1–0.5 metres]. The narrow, mid-green leaves reach 0.26 feet [0.08 metres] long. Loose umbels carry up to 30 purple, bell-shaped flowers. These appear in midsummer, often with small bulbils among them. Plants take two to five years to reach full size.

Choose full sun and fertile soil that drains well. Moist soil suits it, but avoid sites that stay waterlogged. Chalk, loam and sand suit its needs. It favours a neutral or alkaline soil pH. Use containers where heavy clay stays wet through winter. Both exposed and sheltered sites can suit this plant. The RHS rates it H5 for UK winter hardiness. PFAF lists USDA zones 6–9. Its fast spread makes informal beds a better fit than tight schemes.

Use it in cottage gardens, gravel beds or mixed borders. It also suits coastal gardens, courtyards and patio pots. PFAF lists meadows and lightly shaded woodland gardens as settings. Lift bulbs after flowering to detach offsets for new plants. Remove spent flower stems and old leaves; no other pruning is needed. Watch for allium leaf miner and onion fly. Onion white rot and onion downy mildew may also occur. PFAF reports moth-repellent use of the plant's juice. It also records claims that whole plants deter insects and moles.

PFAF lists the bulbs, leaves, flowers and bulbils as edible. It describes a pleasant onion or garlic taste. The small bulbs and bulbils make preparation fiddly. It lists bulbs, leaves and bulbils for raw or cooked use. Flowers are listed for eating raw. These food uses do not make it safe for pets. The RHS marks this species as toxic to pets. PFAF gives no species-specific poisoning reports, so that gap does not establish safety.