Tulbaghia violacea, Wild Garlic is a very popular groundcover with landscapers and gardeners because of its showy mauve-pink flowers, interesting leaf texture and general hardiness. Mass planted, this species creates a striking display while in flower. It also has culinary and medicinal properties.
Name Derivation:
- Tulbachia – After Ryk Tulbagh (died 1771), Dutch governor of the Cape of Good Hope, who corresponded with and sent plants from the Cape to Carl Linnaeus.
- violacea – violet, referring to the colour of the flowers .
Common Names:
- Wild garlic (Eng), wilde knoffel (Afr) and isihaqa (Zul).
Size: 30 cm x 25 cm.
Flower:
- Lilac or mauve, tubular flowers, up to 2 cm long.
- Borne in multi-flowered umbels on stalks up to 50 cm tall.
Colour: Lilac or mauve.
Fragrant: Bruised plant parts smell strongly of garlic.
Foliage:
- Evergreen.
- The leaves strap-like, (30 by 1 cm), tapering to the apex.
- Leaves are upright from a whitish base.
- They are a grey-green colour.
Thorns: No thorns.
Fruit: A small capsule that splits open to disperse the seeds.
- A popular groundcover for large open areas on pavements, in complex and office parks and shopping centre parking lots.
- May be used to good effect in rockeries and as flowerbed borders.
- A good companion plant for roses and other small shrubs prone to aphid attack.
- A very good water-wise choice.
Planting spacing: 6 per square metre.
Soil Needs:
- Will grow even in poor soil, but best in good garden soil.
Care:
- A low maintenance garden plant.
- Will tolerate a fair amount of neglect.
- Clumps expand quite quickly when regularly watered and fed.
- Deadhead the flowers after flowering to encourage further flowering.
- Overcrowded clumps can be lifted and divided, but they like being undisturbed.
Water Requirements:
- Very drought hardy, but like regular water in summer.
- Water-wise groundcover.
Light Requirements: Full sun to light shade.
Roots: Not invasive.
Birds: No particular attraction for birds.
- Pollinated mainly by butterflies and bees.
Medicinal:
- Bulbs and leaves are used in traditional medicine to treat fever and colds.
- Also used to treat tuberculosis and asthma.
- Extracts of Tulbaghia violacea have shown ability to lower high blood pressure.
- It has antibacterial and anti-fungal qualities.
Notes of interest:
- The leaves are prepared and eaten as spinach.
- Can be used as normal garlic is.
- Some people plant them around their homes believing the smell keeps snakes away.
Natural Distribution:
- Found in the EC and southern KZN.
- Reports of occurrences elsewhere are probably garden escapees.
Natural Habitat: Moist sandy coastal soil, near rivers, in grasslands and on rocky slopes.
© Malcolm Dee Hepplewhite & Witkoppen Wildflower Nursery, (Text and Photographs) 2012 & 2018.