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Allium moly

Allium moly: Plant
Photo by Ken Fern. High resolution version

Common name:	Golden Garlic	Family:	Alliaceae
Author:	L.	Botanical references:	200
Synonyms:
Known Hazards:	Although no individual reports regarding this species have been seen, there have been cases of poisoning caused by the consumption, in large quantities and by some mammals, of certain members of this genus. Dogs seem to be particularly susceptible[76].
Range:	Europe - Mediterranean in south-western Europe and northern Africa.
Habitat:	Shady rocks and screes in mountains[90]. Limestone rubble[190].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	4	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	2

Epithets:	From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets
	moly = a magic herb of Greek origin;

Physical Characteristics

Bulb growing to 0.3m by 0.1m . It is hardy to zone 7 and is not frost tender. It is in leaf until September, in flower from June to July, and the seeds ripen from July to August. The scented flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Bees and insects. We rate it 4/5 for edibility and 2/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It requires dry or moist soil and can tolerate drought.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Hedgerow, Woodland, Cultivated Beds, Sunny Edge, Dappled Shade.

Edible Uses

Flowers; Leaves; Root.

Bulb - raw or cooked. A pleasant mild garlic flavour, when sliced it makes a very nice addition to salads and can also be used as a flavouring in cooked foods[K]. The bulbs are about 25mm in diameter[200].
Leaves - raw or cooked.
Flowers - raw. The yellow flowers make an attractive garnish on salads and have a pleasant onion flavour[K].

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

Although no specific mention of medicinal uses has been seen for this species, members of this genus are in general very healthy additions to the diet. They contain sulphur compounds (which give them their onion flavour) and when added to the diet on a regular basis they help reduce blood cholesterol levels, act as a tonic to the digestive system and also tonify the circulatory system[K].

Other Uses

Repellent.

The juice of the plant is used as a moth repellent. The whole plant is said to repel insects and moles[20].

Cultivation details

An easily grown plant[203], preferring a sunny position in a light well-drained soil[1, 90]. Established plants are fairly drought tolerant[190].
The bulbs should be planted fairly deeply[1].
The dormant bulbs are fairly hardy and will withstand soil temperatures down to at least -10°c[214].
There are some named forms selected for their ornamental value[203]. The flowers are softly scented[245].
Some forms of this species, especially A. moly bulbiferum[203], produce bulbils in the flowering head[42] and can be invasive[203]. The species type is sometimes considered to be invasive, though it has not proved so with most people[203]. It is useful for naturalising between shrubs and grows well at the base of a beech hedge in a wet garden[203].
Grows well with most plants, especially roses, carrots, beet and chamomile, but it inhibits the growth of legumes[18, 20, 54]. It is a bad companion for alfalfa, each species negatively affecting the other[201].
Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer[233].

Propagation

Seed - sow spring in a cold frame. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle - if you want to produce clumps more quickly then put three plants in each pot. Grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter and plant them out into their permanent positions in spring once they are growing vigorously and are large enough.
Division in spring. Very easy, the plants divide successfully at any time in the growing season and the divisions can be planted straight out into their permanent positions if required.
Plants sometimes produces bulbils, these can be potted up as soon as they are ripe and planted out in late spring.

Scent

Flowers: Fresh: The flowers are softly scented.

Cultivars

'': No entries have been made for this species as yet.

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

PFAF Web Pages

This plant is mentioned in the following web pages

Allium Species - the Perennial Onions

Web References

[H] Details of Scandanavian and European Common names in Henriette's names database
[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[K] Ken Fern
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[18] Philbrick H. and Gregg R. B. Companion Plants. Watkins 1979
Details of beneficial and antagonistic relationships between neighbouring plants.

[20] Riotte. L. Companion Planting for Successful Gardening. Garden Way, Vermont, USA. 1978 ISBN 0-88266-064-0
Fairly good.

[42] Grey. C. H. Hardy Bulbs. Williams & Norgate. 1938
Rather dated now, but an immense work on bulbs for temperate zones and how to grow them. Three large volumes.

[54] Hatfield. A. W. How to Enjoy your Weeds. Frederick Muller Ltd 1977 ISBN 0-584-10141-4
Interesting reading.

[76] Cooper. M. and Johnson. A. Poisonous Plants in Britain and their Effects on Animals and Man. HMSO 1984 ISBN 0112425291
Concentrates mainly on the effects of poisonous plants to livestock.

[90] Phillips. R. and Rix. M. Bulbs Pan Books 1989 ISBN 0-330-30253-1
Superbly illustrated, it gives brief details on cultivation and native habitat.

[190] Chatto. B. The Dry Garden. Dent 1982 ISBN 0460045512
A good list of drought resistant plants with details on how to grow them.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[201] Allardice.P. A - Z of Companion Planting. Cassell Publishers Ltd. 1993 ISBN 0-304-34324-2
A well produced and very readable book.

[203] Davies. D. Alliums. The Ornamental Onions. Batsford 1992 ISBN 0-7134-7030-5
Covers about 200 species of Alliums. A very short section on their uses, good details of their cultivation needs.

[214] Matthews. V. The New Plantsman. Volume 1, 1994. Royal Horticultural Society 1994 ISBN 1352-4186
A quarterly magazine, it has articles on Himalayacalamus hookerianus, hardy Euphorbias and an excellent article on Hippophae spp.

[233] Thomas. G. S. Perennial Garden Plants J. M. Dent & Sons, London. 1990 ISBN 0 460 86048 8
A concise guide to a wide range of perennials. Lots of cultivation guides, very little on plant uses.

[245] Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8
An excellent, comprehensive book on scented plants giving a few other plant uses and brief cultivation details. There are no illustrations.

Readers Comments

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Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
WEB search engine by Rich Morris - Home Page- Contact Info
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We make no claims of magical effects or supernatural powers for any item in this catalog. In spite of legendary attributes or occult and craft tradition, such items are offered as curios only and beliefs concerning their magical effectiveness are related only for historical interest.