• Photo of Tulbaghia violacea (Tulbaghia violaceas)

Plant Profile: Tulbaghia violacea

Names

Society Garlic

  • Photo of Tulbaghia violacea (Tulbaghia violaceas)

Phonetic Spelling:tul-BAG-ee-uh vy-oh-LAH-say-uh

Genus:Tulbaghia

Species:violacea

Family:Amaryllidaceae

Society Garlic is a delicate perennial belonging to the Amaryllidaceae family. When the leaves and rootstock are crushed, they emit a strong garlic aroma, which is the origin of its common name. This plant exhibits good resistance to drought and heat but thrives best with sufficient moisture during its growing season. In cooler climates, Society Garlic is often cultivated as an annual in containers on patios or decks, or it can be brought indoors to survive the winter. If given proper protection and adequate mulch, it can endure the winter months in the ground. This versatile plant is ideal for rock gardens, herb gardens, or as a border and edge planting. Additionally, it has moderate salt tolerance.

The flowers of Society Garlic are edible and possess a flavor that ranges from onion-like to peppery, making them suitable for both raw and cooked dishes.

**Seasons of Interest:**
- **Bloom:** Early Summer to Fall

**Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems:**
There are no significant issues with insects or diseases, although slugs and snails may occasionally damage the leaves.

**Plants that may be confused with it:**
Garlic chives (Allium tuberosum)

Tulbaghia violacea Feature Summary

Tulbaghia violacea Image Gallery

Tags

#fragrant
#fragrant flowers
#heat tolerant
#drought tolerant
#edible plant
#fragrant leaves
#salt tolerant
#herb garden
#edging
#deck
#lavender flowers
#rock gardens
#borders
#patio planting
#container plants

Similar Plants

Tulbaghia violacea is often confused with:

Tulbaghia violacea Feature Summary

Attributes
Flowers and leaves are edible (mild garlic flavor), and may be used in soups and salads.
Perennial
Bulb
Fruit
Triangular capsules split to reveal small black seeds
Flowers
20” stalks tall bearing terminal umbels of fragrant lilac-pink flowers. 3/4 inch flowers have 6 pointed tepals and a center tubular corolla.
Pink
Purple/Lavender
Spring
Summer
Fall
6 petals/rays
Tubular
Star
< 1 inch
Leaves
Linear green grass-like leaves are arching and smell of garlic when crushed
> 6 inches
< 1 inch
Stem
20-inch smooth green stems
Smooth (glabrous)
Whole Plant Traits
Perennial
Edible
Ground Cover
Arching
Erect
Clumping
Cultural Conditions
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Good Drainage
Coastal
Piedmont
7a
7b
8b
8a
9a
9b
10a
10b
Clay
High Organic Matter
Sand
Landscape
Drought Tolerant Garden
Edible Garden
Rock Garden
Drought
Deer
Heat
Humidity
Salt
Container
Patio
Walkways

Tulbaghia violacea Attributes

Tulbaghia violacea: Country Or Region Of Origin

South Africa

Tulbaghia violacea: Edibility

Flowers and leaves are edible (mild garlic flavor), and may be used in soups and salads.

Tulbaghia violacea: Life Cycle

Annual
Biennial
Bulb
Perennial
Woody

Tulbaghia violacea: Recommended Propagation Strategy

Division
Grafting
Layering
Leaf Cutting
Root Cutting
Seed
Stem Cutting

Tulbaghia violacea Fruit

Tulbaghia violacea: Fruit Description

Triangular capsules split to reveal small black seeds

Tulbaghia violacea: Fruit Type

Achene
Aggregate
Berry
Capsule
Caryopsis
Drupe
Follicle
Legume
Nut
Pome
Samara
Schizocarp
Siliqua

Tulbaghia violacea Flowers

Tulbaghia violacea: Flower Description

20” stalks tall bearing terminal umbels of fragrant lilac-pink flowers. 3/4 inch flowers have 6 pointed tepals and a center tubular corolla.

Tulbaghia violacea: Flower Color

filter_vintage
Pink
filter_vintage
Purple/Lavender

Tulbaghia violacea: Flower Inflorescence

Catkin
Corymb
Cyme
Head
Insignificant
Panicle
Raceme
Solitary
Spadix
Spike
Umbel

Tulbaghia violacea: Flower Value To Gardener

Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long Bloom Season
Long-lasting
Showy

Tulbaghia violacea: Flower Bloom Time

Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall

Tulbaghia violacea: Flower Petals

2-3 rays/petals
4-5 petals/rays
6 petals/rays
7 - 20 petals/rays
asymmetrical petals
Bracts
Colored Sepals
fused petals
more than 20 petals/rays
Tepals

Tulbaghia violacea: Flower Shape

Bell
Cross
Crown
Cup
Dome
Funnel
Irregular
Lipped
Radial
Saucer
Star
Trumpet
Tubular
Urn
Wheel

Tulbaghia violacea: Flower Size

1-3 inches
3-6 inches
< 1 inch
> 6 inches

Tulbaghia violacea Leaves

Tulbaghia violacea: Leaf Description

Linear green grass-like leaves are arching and smell of garlic when crushed

Tulbaghia violacea: Leaf Color

spa
Green

Tulbaghia violacea: Leaf Type

Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Fronds
Needles
Sheath
Simple

Tulbaghia violacea: Leaf Arrangement

Alternate
Opposite
Other/more complex
Rosulate
Whorled

Tulbaghia violacea: Leaf Shape

Acicular
Auriculate
Cordate
Cuneate
Deltoid
Elliptical
Filiform
Lanceolate
Linear
Oblanceolate
Oblong
Obovate
Obtuse
Orbicular
Ovate
Palmasect
Palmatifid
Peltate
Pinnatifid
Pinnatisect
Reniform
Rhomboidal
Spatulate
Subcordate
Subulate

Tulbaghia violacea: Leaf Margin

Crenate
Crenulate
Dentate
Denticulate
Doubly Crenate
Doubly Dentate
Doubly Serrate
Entire
Lobed
Serrate
Sinuate
Undulate

Tulbaghia violacea: Hairs Present

No
Yes

Tulbaghia violacea: Leaf Length

< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches

Tulbaghia violacea: Leaf Feel

Fleshy
Glossy
Leathery
Papery
Prickly
Rough
Rubbery
Slippery
Smooth
Soft
Velvety
Waxy

Tulbaghia violacea: Leaf Width

< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches

Tulbaghia violacea Stem

Tulbaghia violacea: Stem Description

20-inch smooth green stems

Tulbaghia violacea: Stem Color

grass
Green

Tulbaghia violacea: Stem Is Aromatic

No
Yes

Tulbaghia violacea: Stem Surface

Corky Ridges
Covered with a powdery bloom (glaucous)
Dull
Hairy (pubescent)
Polished
Smooth (glabrous)

Tulbaghia violacea Whole Plant Traits

Tulbaghia violacea: Plant Type

Annual
Bulb
Carnivorous
Edible
Epiphyte
Fern
Ground Cover
Herb
Herbaceous Perennial
Houseplant
Mushroom
Native Plant
Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
Perennial
Poisonous
Rose
Shrub
Succulent
Tree
Turfgrass
Vegetable
Vine
Water Plant
Weed
Wildflower

Tulbaghia violacea: Habit/Form

Arching
Ascending
Broad
Cascading
Climbing
Clumping
Columnar
Conical
Creeping
Dense
Erect
Horizontal
Irregular
Mounding
Multi-stemmed
Multi-trunked
Open
Oval
Prostrate
Pyramidal
Rounded
Spreading
Vase
Weeping

Tulbaghia violacea: Growth Rate

Slow
Medium
Rapid

Tulbaghia violacea: Maintenance

Low
Medium
High

Tulbaghia violacea: Texture

Fine
Medium
Coarse

Tulbaghia violacea Cultural Conditions

Tulbaghia violacea: Light

Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)

Tulbaghia violacea: Soil Drainage

Frequent Standing Water
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasional Flooding
Occasionally Dry
Occasionally Wet
Very Dry

Tulbaghia violacea: NC Region

Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont

Tulbaghia violacea: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone

thermostat
10a
thermostat
10b
thermostat
7a
thermostat
7b
thermostat
8a
thermostat
8b
thermostat
9a
thermostat
9b

Tulbaghia violacea: Soil Texture

Clay
High Organic Matter
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Shallow Rocky

Tulbaghia violacea Landscape

Tulbaghia violacea: Landscape Theme

Asian Garden
Butterfly Garden
Children's Garden
Cottage Garden
Cutting Garden
Drought Tolerant Garden
Edible Garden
English Garden
Fairy Garden
Garden for the Blind
Native Garden
Nighttime Garden
Pollinator Garden
Rain Garden
Rock Garden
Shade Garden
Water Garden
Winter Garden

Tulbaghia violacea: Design Feature

Accent
Barrier
Border
Flowering Tree
Foundation Planting
Hedge
Mass Planting
Screen/Privacy
Security
Shade Tree
Small groups
Small Tree
Specimen
Street Tree
Understory Tree

Tulbaghia violacea: Resistance To Challenges

Black Walnut
Compaction
Deer
Diseases
Drought
Dry Soil
Erosion
Fire
Foot Traffic
Heat
Heavy Shade
Humidity
Insect Pests
Pollution
Poor Soil
Rabbits
Salt
Slugs
Squirrels
Storm damage
Urban Conditions
Voles
Wet Soil
Wind

Tulbaghia violacea: Landscape Location

Coastal
Container
Hanging Baskets
Houseplants
Lawn
Meadow
Naturalized Area
Near Septic
Patio
Pond
Pool/Hardscape
Recreational Play Area
Riparian
Rock Wall
Slope/Bank
Small Space
Vertical Spaces
Walkways
Woodland