Allium sativum

Allium sativum, common garlic, is a bulbous perennial whose wild origin likely lies in Central Asia, though it has been cultivated and naturalized worldwide since antiquity. The bulb, composed of 10 to 20 cloves wrapped in a papery white tunic, produces flat, elongated, sword-shaped leaves. In summer a rigid flowering stem bears a dense umbel of small white to pinkish flowers, often sterile and accompanied by bulbils, with propagation mainly by division of the cloves. Hardy and easy to grow, garlic prefers full sun and fertile, well-drained soil, and is typically planted in autumn for a summer harvest.