Bears Garlic - Allium ursinum - Ferme de Sainte Marthe seeds

Wild Garlic (Allium ursinum), also known as Ramsons, Bear's Garlic, and Broad-leaved Garlic, is a perennial woodland garlic that naturalises easily. It bears large, narrow, glossy green leaves and displays, from April to June, a charming flowering of white umbels. This is a very ancient culinary and medicinal plant where the bulb, flower buds, and leaves are all edible. Sow in July for a harvest from January to October.

Wild Garlic is a European species that grows spontaneously in woodlands; like cultivated garlic, it belongs to the Liliaceae family. It is hardy and perennial, tolerating temperatures down to at least –15°C. This bulbous plant has a bristly habit, reaching 15 to 20 cm in height. At the base of its stem, it bears narrow, petiolate leaves. It flowers in a slightly yellowish-white, spherical umbel from April to June, depending on the region. It is a deciduous plant that disappears completely in winter and reappears in spring.

All parts of the plant are edible—the bulb, flower buds, and leaves. It can be cooked as a vegetable, like spinach, or used as a seasoning to enhance salads, soups, and more. Wild Garlic can also be used to prepare herbal infusions.

Allium ursinum has numerous benefits: it is rich in vitamin C and, among other things, detoxifying, hypotensive, and antiseptic.

In the garden, Wild Garlic thrives in shade or partial shade in humus-rich, moist but well-drained soil. It can be planted in vegetable gardens as well as in shaded areas of the garden, where it forms a beautiful ground cover.

Harvest: It can be harvested over a long period, from January to October. However, don’t be too greedy—it reproduces via its bulbs, so leave some in place to allow it to multiply.

Storage: The leaves can be preserved by drying in a dark, dry place.

The Gardener’s Tip: Before its distinctive flowering, Wild Garlic can be confused with several highly toxic plants, such as Lily of the Valley, Autumn Crocus, and Lords-and-Ladies. Wait a little or trust your nose—only Allium ursinum emits a garlicky scent.

The organic or "AB" seeds come from plants grown without phytosanitary products (insecticides, herbicides). These seeds also undergo no post-harvest treatment. They carry the AB label and are certified by Ecocert, an independent organisation.