Allium ascalonicum L.

An onion family plant. It is a bulb plant. It grows to about 30 cm high. The bulb can be 6 cm across. The protective coat over the bulbs is purplish, brown or white. The leaves are 10-35 cm long by 3-10 mm wide. It often produces new shoots from the base. These form a group of small bulbs. The leaves are narrow and thin. They are flat on one side. They taper and can reach 40 cm high. They are purplish-red or brown. There are a cluster of single bulbs at the base. The flowers occur as 25-50 flowers in a head. The flowers are violet.

A tropical plant. In Nepal it is grown between 500 and 2000 m altitude. It does best in fertile, well-drained sandy soil. Prefers a pH in the range 6 to 7, but tolerates a pH in the range 4.5 to 8.3. It tolerates a range of soils but does best in light well drained soils.

Both the bulbs and the leaves can be eaten as a vegetable. The bulbs are eaten raw or cooked. The leaves are eaten raw or cooked. The flowers are used raw or to flavour salads.

Plants can be grown from seed or by using bulbs. The clumps are uprooted and divided. Plants are spaced 15-20 cm apart. Bulbs are planted to half the bulb depth.