Tulbaghia violacea Pearl

Tulbaghia violacea 'Pearl' is a delightful variety of society garlic, distinguished by the delicate colour of its flowering. Over time, it forms a beautiful tuft of leaves from which emerge numerous small umbels of pink star-shaped flowers that quickly turn white. This aromatic bulbous plant is used to enhance salads, just like chives or garlic. Its foliage persists throughout winter, and it blooms almost all year round in mild climates. With its resemblance to a small agapanthus, it works wonders in borders and beds, and will create pretty flowering pots for patios and balconies.

It belongs to the Amaryllidaceae family, just like leeks, garlic, and onions. It originates from South Africa, specifically from the meadows of Lesotho and Swaziland, which benefit from rather dry winters and rainy summers. It is a perennial herbaceous plant with a fleshy tuberous root that forms a tuft of thin, ribbon-like leaves. The foliage is evergreen depending on the winter temperature. It boasts a long summer flowering.

The 'Pearl' cultivar is a very beautiful horticultural variety that blooms abundantly for a long time. This plant develops into an expanding tuft over time through its rhizomes. When in bloom, it measures approximately 40 to 45cm (16 to 18in) in height and 40cm (16in) in width. Its particularly long flowering starts from May (early June in average climates) and doesn't end until the arrival of cold weather in October. In milder regions, it can bloom almost all year round. Clumps of leaves emerge from the floral stems, bearing false umbels of tubular flowers in a very pale-pink colour that open into 6-petalled stars that are almost white, around a yellow centre. The flowers exude a sweet honey scent, but it is overwhelmed by the garlic smell emanating from the entire plant. They are followed by the formation of seeds that can self-sow, but may not necessarily produce flowers identical to those of the parent plant. The grey-green foliage is thin, narrow, erect, and linear, yet flexible enough to arch slightly. It is highly aromatic and emits a powerful garlic odour that is perceptible from a few metres away in warm weather.

It is a very attractive plant, appreciated for its prolonged flowering that extends into autumn. It easily adds colour to gardens or patios during a period of the year that offers few blooms. As a border plant or in a rockery, it can replace agapanthus or be planted with them, choosing from the more compact varieties (Agapanthus 'Silver Moon', A. 'Golden Drop'). However, if its fragrance is too much, plant it a bit further back. This potent garlic-scented fragrance repels harmful insects like aphids and also has fungicidal properties. It will be useful in vegetable gardens to protect carrots, lettuce, beets, and peaches, as well as in ornamental gardens. As it is quite sensitive to cold, especially in moist soil during winter, it is often preferable to cultivate it in a pot, except in very mild climates. This plant thrives outdoors in summer, exposed to light but without direct sunlight. You can use finely chopped leaves in your salads, or even add a few flowers. It is a good seaside plant, as it tolerates sandy soils and sea spray. The most favourable climate for it will be a mild oceanic type. In hot regions, it will require regular watering in summer, or it may disappear in the medium term.