Bear’s Garlic

(Allium ursinum)

Bear’s Garlic (Allium ursinum)

Patrick Hacker

CC BY 4.0

Image By: Patrick Hacker

Recorded By:

Estimated Native Range

Summary

Allium ursinum, commonly known as Bear’s Garlic, is a deciduous bulbous plant native to damp shaded woods and grasslands in Central and Northern Europe, as well as in Britain and Ireland. As a perennial herb, it forms clumps and typically grows up to 25 cm (9.8 in) tall. The plant features bright green, lanceolate leaves that can be up to 25 cm long and 7 cm wide, with a petiole that extends up to 20 cm. The inflorescence is a spherical umbel consisting of six to twenty star-like white flowers, each with six tepals and stamens that are shorter than the perianth. Bear’s Garlic blooms from April to June, often appearing before the canopy of deciduous trees fully develops.

Bear’s Garlic is valued for its attractive foliage and early spring flowers, which can add interest to woodland gardens and shaded areas. It is also appreciated for its culinary uses, as the leaves have a mild garlic flavor and are used in salads, soups, and sauces. In cultivation, it prefers moist, well-drained soils and can tolerate full shade to part shade conditions. While it is generally low-maintenance, it can spread rapidly under ideal conditions and may become invasive outside its native range. Gardeners should be cautious about planting it in areas where it can spread uncontrollably.CC BY-SA 4.0

Plant Description

Plant Type: Bulb
Height: 0.5-1 feet
Width: 0.5-1 feet
Growth Rate: Moderate
Flower Color: White
Flowering Season: Spring
Leaf Retention: Deciduous

Growth Requirements

Sun: Full Sun, Part Shade
Water: Medium
Drainage: Slow, Medium

Common Uses

Bee Garden, Bird Garden, Butterfly Garden, Deer Resistant, Drought Tolerant, Edible*Disclaimer: Easyscape's listed plant edibility is for informational use. Always verify the safety and proper identification of any plant before consumption., Fragrant, Groundcover, Hummingbird Garden, Low Maintenance, Rabbit Resistant, Rock Garden, Showy Flowers

Natural Habitat

Damp shaded woods and grasslands in Central and Northern Europe, as well as in Britain and Ireland

Other Names

Common Names: Bear Garlic, Wild Garlic, Ramsons, Wild Cowleek, Cowlic, Buckrams, Broad-Leaved Garlic, Wood Garlic, Bear Leek, Eurasian Wild Garlic

Scientific Names: , Allium ursinum, Allium ursinum subsp. ucrainicum, Allium petiolatum, Allium latifolium, Allium ursinum var. ucrainicum, Ophioscorodon ursinum, Aglitheis ursina, Allium latifolium oppr, Allium longipetiolatum

GBIF Accepted Name: Allium ursinum L.