This robust Allium is a common feature of botanical gardens in Scandinavia, but the best I’ve seen is in the Ringve Botanical Garden here in Trondheim from where I was gifted a plant a few years back after having got the wrong Allium twice from seed. This species is native to Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan and was apparently overharvested for food from its wild range. It is a crop near relative, possibly being an ancestor of the common bulb onion, Allium cepa. Last weekend, my Danish visitors were at Ringve and were impressed by its size. Upon asking me about it, I suggested we had some for dinner. Even though the plant had flower buds, the stems were crispy and although quite strong tasting raw, it was mild when cooked in our soup! This one will certainly be on the menu again! Added two more pictures on 16th August 2015!

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