Liliaceae Family - "Wild Garlic, Meadow Garlic, Wild Onion, Wild Shallot"

Allium is the ancient Latin name for garlic and canadense is the Latin word meaning "of Canada".

Found throughout the tallgrass prairies in open woods and thickets. White to pink flowers bloom from May to July and it can grow as high as two feet. The long, grass-like leaves can reach 18 inches in length. The leaves are flat on one side and just slightly convex on the other. This species differs from other Allium species in that the leaves are not hollow.

The Allium genus has been widely used as food and medicine for thousands of years. The medicinal effects of many of the species are the same, but the strength s of those properties vary from species to species. In many cases, they were used as emergency survival foods; in winter, the seed heads of some the species remain through the snowfall and their presence above the snow indicated edible bulbs below. Several stories from the journals of early explorers recount how wild onions or wild garlic saved the parties from starvation and scurvy.

Wild Garlic is one of the most powerful herbs of the Natural World and was widely known and utilized by both Native Americans and early settlers. The juices of the plant were often applied directly to wounds and burns. Some Native American tribes crushed the bulbs of wild garlic and used them in a poultice for treating boils. Others found the poultice provided relief from bee stings and insect bites and snakebites. Early pioneers used wild garlic as a substitute for the widely used onion poultice.

The bulbs were sliced and cooked (by both Native Americans and early pioneers) with the resulting liquid being used to dissolve maple sugar and make a cough syrup. The same mixture was also used to treat hives. Some of the other medicinal uses by settlers were for the treatment of fevers, skin problems, hemorrhoids, earaches, rheumatism, arthritis, tapeworms and other internal parasites, blood disorders and lung problems.

The physician who accompanied Lewis and Clark made note of the use of Allium canadense to control scurvy among the members of the exploration team. In the journals of the journey of Father Marquette here in our area, wild garlic was mentioned as an important source of food.

Tolerates all conditions well; very hearty plant. Does extremely well on it's own when established.