Field garlic, native to Europe, northern Africa, and western Asia, was introduced in
Australia and North America, where it has become an invasive species in lawns, pastures, and
meadows. Livestock owners don't like them in part because the strongly garlic-flavored bulbs
flavor the milk and meat of grazing livestock.
Identification: Like other members of the Allium
(loosely, onion) family, field garlic grows from bulbs, which are ⅜-¾″ (1-2 cm) in
diameter. The main stem is 12-47″ (30-120 cm) tall, with 2-4 tubular, hollow leaves that are 1/16-⅛″ (2-4 mm)
thick. The flowerhead is ¾-1¾″ (2-5 cm)
in diameter, and rather strange-looking. It consists a rounded cluster of tiny bulbs called
bulbils—on close examination, the cluster is composed of tiny, outward-pointing bulbs. The cluster is pink or
purple in color. Above this cluster may be several small flowers, 1/16-⅛″ (2-5 mm) long, each with six petals,
varying from pink to red or greenish-white.
Edibility: Field garlic bulbs, about ½″ (1.3 cm) in diameter, taste
like strong garlic. Used in modest quantities, they make a delicious addition to dishes that benefit from garlic.
Or, you can pickle them.