Allium neapolitanum
White garlic
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Family: Alliaceae · Type: Herb · Not Native
Allium neapolitanum (White garlic) is a non-native California herb in the Alliaceae family, recognized by non-native with distinctive 3-angled winged stem and no ovary crests.
White garlic is a naturalized perennial found in northern coastal California, Sacramento Valley, central coastal areas, San Francisco Bay Region, and southern coastal regions in disturbed and urban spaces at elevations below 100 meters. Flowering from March to April, this plant produces white flowers in clusters of 10 to 25 blooms, with delicate elliptic perianth parts. Growing 20 to 60 centimeters tall with distinctively three-angled stems that have two slightly winged angles, it emerges from a small spheric bulb. Its leaves are 2 to 3 in number, flat and linear to narrowly lanceolate, typically shorter than the stem. The bulb has a crusted outer coating with square-shaped cells and thick walls, giving this non-native species its characteristic garlic-like structure.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 38 sympatric species; non-native with distinctive 3-angled winged stem and no ovary crests
Habitat and range
Habitat: Disturbed +- urban places
Elevation: < 100 m
California counties: Sacramento, Santa Clara, Alameda, San Mateo, Solano, Yolo, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, Orange, San Francisco, San Joaquin, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, Sonoma, Ventura, Riverside, Butte, Mendocino, San Luis Obispo
Outside California: native to Mediterranean
Bloom period
Allium neapolitanum blooms Mar-Apr.
How to tell it apart
vs Triteleia: Allium smells like onion when crushed; triplet lily has no smell.; vs Agapanthus: Allium smells like onion; lily-of-the-Nile has no smell and much larger flowers.; vs Dipterostemon: Allium smells like onion when crushed; ookow has no onion smell.; vs Nothoscordum: Allium smells like onion when crushed; false garlic has no smell.; vs Tulbaghia: Allium has flowers in tight umbels; society garlic has flowers in loose open clusters.
Frequently asked questions
Is Allium neapolitanum native to California?
No. Allium neapolitanum is not native to California (recorded as not native).
When does Allium neapolitanum bloom?
Allium neapolitanum blooms Mar-Apr.
Where in California does Allium neapolitanum grow?
Allium neapolitanum occurs in Sacramento, Santa Clara, Alameda, San Mateo, Solano, Yolo, Contra Costa, Marin and other counties, at elevations of < 100 m.
What plant family does Allium neapolitanum belong to?
Allium neapolitanum is in the Alliaceae family, genus Allium.
What habitat does Allium neapolitanum grow in?
Allium neapolitanum grows in Disturbed +- urban places.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.