Allium moly
yellow garlic
Family AmaryllidaceaeAlso called golden garlic, lily leek, moly
About
Allium moly, golden garlic, is a Mediterranean bulb grown for its bright yellow early-summer flowers; it is also edible.
Care at a glance
- Pet safety
- Allium species are toxic to cats and dogs; eating large amounts can cause hemolytic anemia, and cats are most sensitive. General guidance for the genus
- People
- Not recorded.
- Light
- Partial shade, with protection from afternoon sun in hot summers.
- Water
- Avoid overly damp ground; wet conditions invite bulb rot and other fungal problems. General guidance for the genus
- Soil
- Well-drained soil; sandy loam is best.
- Propagation
- Plant bulbs about 13 cm deep and 5–8 cm apart; larger bulbs flower sooner and longer.
- Mature size
- Leaves up to 30 cm long.
“General guidance for the genus” marks advice sourced for the genus as a whole rather than this species.
Field notes
Morphology
Lance-shaped grey-green leaves up to 30 cm long die back in midsummer. In early summer it bears dense umbels of star-shaped bright yellow flowers. Crushed leaves smell of onion.
Distribution & habitat
Mainly Spain and southern France, with further populations in Italy, Austria, the Czech Republic, Algeria and Morocco.
Cultivation notes
Plant bulbs about 5 in (13 cm) deep and 2–3 in (5–8 cm) apart in well-drained soil, ideally sandy loam, with part shade and afternoon protection in hot summers. Larger bulbs flower earlier, more reliably and for longer. The cultivar 'Jeannine' holds the RHS Award of Garden Merit.
Conservation
Assessed by the IUCN as Least Concern.
Habitat
- Altitude
- Not recorded
- Altitude class
- —
- Native to
- Spain, France, Italy, Austria, Czech Republic, Algeria, Morocco
- IUCN status
- Least concern
Cultivation
- Difficulty
- easy
Text adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
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