There are more than 500 species of alliums, many of them are cultivated for their showy flowers, but there are many that grow naturally, like wild garlic. I begin noticing them in the fall - their foliage is thinner and more upright than the grass around it. It also stays green, a different shade than the grass, which is starting to go dormant at this time of year. When they bloom they form a golf ball-sized cluster of tiny flowers, which are packed so tightly that it’s hard to isolate just one. And they have much more color than one would realize close up with lime green ovaries and the bright yellow pollen.
They’re not just all show - in the past, these perennial herbs have been used for medicinal purposes. Native american tribes used wild garlic as treatments for asthma and high blood pressure, and as a digestive aid.
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