Tulbaghia violacea Purple Eye - Society Garlic

Tulbaghia violacea 'Purple Eye' is a delightful variety of Tulbaghia violacea that stands out for its extended flowering period and its bright and contrasting bicolour flowers: its pretty star-shaped flowers display a fresh pink hue with a purple centre. They bloom from spring to the end of summer, borne in umbels above ribbon-like foliage that is a slightly greyish green. Like the wild species, this culinary plant has a strong garlic scent, from its tuberous roots to its leaves, and can therefore be used as a substitute for garlic in cooking. With its appearance of a small pink agapanthus, it thrives in the ground in mild climates, but also in a flowering pot, to be stored in winter in less temperate regions.

Tulbaghia violacea belongs to the Alliaceae family, just like leeks, garlic, and onions. It is native to South Africa, specifically the meadows of Lesotho and Swaziland, which have rather dry winters and rainy summers. It is a perennial herbaceous plant with a fleshy tuberous root that forms a clump of thin, ribbon-like leaves, which are more or less evergreen depending on the winter temperature, and offers a long summer flowering period.

The 'Purple Eye' cultivar develops fairly rapidly into a spreading clump that widens over time through its rhizomes. The flowering plant measures about 40-45 cm (16-18in) in height and 30 cm (12in) in width. Its particularly long flowering period starts from April to June, depending on the climate, and only ends with the arrival of cold weather. In milder regions, it is capable of blooming almost all year round. Clumps of leaves emerge from the floral stems, bearing false umbels of tubular flowers that open into star shapes with 6 pink petals surrounding a violet-purple centre. The flowers emit a sweet honey scent, but it is overwhelmed by the garlic odour emanating from the entire plant. They are followed by the formation of seeds that can self-sow. The foliage is slender, narrow, upright, linear, and greyish-green in colour, yet flexible enough to slightly arch. It is strongly aromatic and releases a powerful garlic smell that can be perceived several metres away in hot weather.

Tulbaghia is a very attractive plant appreciated for its prolonged flowering that lasts until autumn and brings some colour to the garden or patio during a period of the year with few blooms. Along a border or pathway, or in a rockery, it can replace agapanthus or be combined with them, choosing from the more compact varieties (Agapanthus Silver Moon, Golden Drop...). as long as its scent doesn't bother you. Otherwise, place it slightly further back. This powerful garlic scent repels pests such as aphids and also has fungicidal properties. Tulbaghia violacea is useful in the vegetable garden and orchard for protecting carrots, lettuce, beets, and peach trees, as well as in ornamental gardens. As it is quite sensitive to cold, especially in moist soil in 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 some flowers. It is a good seaside plant, tolerating sandy soils and sea spray. The most favorable climate for it is a mild oceanic type. In Mediterranean regions, it will require regular watering in summer or it may disappear.