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Ornamental Alliums - Edible?

zeedman Zone 5 Wisconsin

17 years ago

I have really been getting into pickling, experimenting (sometimes successfully, sometimes not) with unusual vegetables. One of my projects this year is pickling onions & garlic.

I will be attempting to grow pearl onions (A. sphaerocephalum) this fall... but meanwhile, I was removing some of the bulbs from a short, yellow ornamental allium that is proliferating _rapidly_ in my flower garden. The bulbs are perhaps 1/2" wide, nearly perfect teardrops, with flat leaves and a very slight garlic aroma. Given how rapidly they multiply, if edible (and palatable?) they could be a good source for small pickled "onions".

Does anyone have any experience trying ornamental alliums as edibles?

Comments (2)

username_5
17 years ago
nope, but that sure is a good question. Look forward to seeing other's experience with this.
flodhesten
17 years ago
All Allium are edible. They can be more or less strong, taste like onion, garlic, leek or somewhere between. If they have a rough structure that might be a reason not to like them.

-so if you like them enjoy them, they are all healthy.

SÃ¶ren.

Here is a link that might be useful: Allium Species - the Perennial Onions
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