Allium sativum

Garlic, Garlic

Family: Alliaceae · Type: perennial · Not Native

Garlic is a naturalized perennial found in the Imperial Valley in disturbed areas and roadsides at elevations below 100 meters. Flowers are rarely observed, potentially appearing in subtle green to pink hues when present. Growing with robust stems 25 to 100 centimeters tall, this plant develops large bulbs 3 to 8 centimeters in diameter surrounded by 5 to 15 edible bulblets (cloves) with white to light brown outer coats. Its leaves are substantial, reaching 20 to 100 centimeters long and 5 to 20 millimeters wide, with finely toothed margins that partially sheath the stem. The plant is primarily known for its culinary bulbs, which form in clusters and replace typical flower structures.

Habitat: Disturbed areas, roadsides

Elevation: < 100 m

Bioregions: DSon (Imperial Valley)

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.