Growing Society Garlic: How to Care for Society Garlic Plants

Society garlic (botanical name Tulbaghia violacea) is an herbaceous perennial plant native to South Africa. Its common name comes partly from the fact that its green leaves and flowers smell of garlic, making them deer-resistant. However, when you eat the plant, you only taste a mild garlic flavor, and it does not cause bad breath like garlic does.

The evergreen plant resembles wild garlic chives, but it is not in the Allium family of plants, commonly known as alliums. Instead, it is a member of the Amaryllidaceae family. Society garlic flowers are tubular with petals that flare out to a star shape. Bloom time varies by plant type, but most flower between early spring and fall. Some bloom year-round. The leaves are tall and grassy, and the plant grows in a clump-forming shape. Some plants feature green to gray leaves, while other varieties have variegated leaves that are green with white stripes.

Society garlic is a low-maintenance evergreen plant that requires minimal care and watering. However, there are some key areas of plant care you can focus on if you want to set your society garlic up for success:

• Climate: The perennial grows best in USDA Hardiness Zones 7–9, and you should protect it from freezes.
• Light: Plant your society garlic in full sun for full blooms. The plant can withstand partial shade, but it might not grow as quickly.
• Pest control: Due to its strong garlic odor, the society garlic plant attracts few pests. Occasionally, you might find snails or slugs on the plants. If so, treat the surrounding ground with slug-deterrent sprays. If you buy new plants from a greenhouse, they might have aphids or whiteflies (from greenhouse conditions). To eradicate these pests, spray your society garlic with insecticidal soap.
• Soil: Plant society garlic in a soil type that is well-draining and rich in organic matter. Sandy soil mixes can offer good results.
• Water: You should water a society garlic plant regularly to ensure the soil remains consistently moist. Water your container plants more frequently. Mulch the plant in hot, dry climates to help the soil retain water.

You can add society garlic plants to herb gardens or vegetable gardens to provide ground cover or dainty blooms or deter plant-eating animals. The plants, especially the leaves, have a mild to strong garlic smell, making them deer-resistant. Here are several types of society garlic plants that vary in flower color and size:

1. 1. 'Flamingo': This society garlic cultivar features bright green grass-like leaves with violet-purple flowers. It has a long growing season. Blooms begin in early spring and continue sporadically throughout the fall. Grow 'Flamingo' as a container plant or a border plant.
2. 2. 'Silver Lace': This cultivar gets its name from the leaf color, which is silver-gray with white borders. Lavender-pink flowers bloom in spring and summer. The plant grows in clumping mounds and often appears in rock gardens.
3. 3. 'Tricolor': With blue-green leaves that grow soft and grassy, this cultivar often appears in cottage-style gardens or as ground cover, as it grows nearly year-round.
4. 4. 'Variegata': This type is a grassy, clumping groundcover plant with blue-green leaves that feature bold white stripes. 'Variegata' blooms with lilac to purple flowers from early summer to fall.

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