Ashanti Pearl Society Garlic

Ashanti Pearl Society Garlic (Tulbaghia violacea 'Ashanti Pearl') is a low strappy perennial that flowers for most of the year and asks for almost nothing in return. It holds a tidy clump around 40cm tall and 30cm wide, sending up slim stems of purple star flowers above grey-green leaves. Frost hardy, drought tolerant, heat tolerant and happy in salt air, it is one of the few edging plants that works from Perth to the Hunter to Bendigo.

Why you'll love it

• It flowers when nothing else does. Purple blooms carry through the warm months and often well beyond, which is unusual in a plant this tough.
• Almost no maintenance. No staking, no deadheading, no pests worth naming. A tidy up once a year is the whole job.
• Suits nearly every Australian climate. Subtropical, warm temperate, cool temperate, Mediterranean and arid gardens all work.
• Bees and butterflies find it. The open flowers are easy for pollinators to work, so a border of it lifts activity across the whole garden.

Where it works best

Borders and edging. Plant 30cm apart for a continuous ribbon along a path or driveway. At that spacing the clumps meet within a season and the line stays even without trimming.

Mass planting and rockeries. Set at 30cm centres it covers a difficult strip, a hot verge or a dry bank where lawn will not hold. Between rocks it takes the heat and the sharp drainage without complaint.

Coastal gardens and pots. Salt tolerance makes it a genuine beachside plant, and it grows well in a pot 250mm or wider where its flowering can be seen up close.

Growing society garlic in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun gives the heaviest flowering; light shade is tolerated but the clump stretches and flowers less. It is frost hardy in cool temperate gardens, and in the coldest districts the foliage may burn back over winter and reshoot in spring.

Soil. Free draining soil of any type, including poor sandy ground. The only thing it will not accept is a bed that stays wet, so raise the level on heavy clay and skip the heavy mulch over the crown.

Water and feed. Water weekly through the first summer, then it survives on very little. A light application of complete fertiliser in early spring is enough, and overfeeding produces leaf at the expense of flowers.

Tidying and dividing. Shear the clump back by half in late winter to refresh the foliage. Lift and divide congested clumps every three or four years to keep flowering strong.

What to expect when it arrives

It is supplied in one size, 140mm pots in packs of ten, which is exactly the quantity a three metre border needs at 30cm spacing. Plants arrive as established clumps with several fans of foliage, ready to go straight into the ground.

The leaves have a mild garlic scent when handled or crushed, which is normal and fades quickly. Growth is steady rather than quick, with flowering usually starting in the first warm season after planting. Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Choosing the right edging plants
• Browse plants suited to rockeries
• Compare coastal and salt tolerant plants
• Plants that bring bees and butterflies in

Common questions

How many plants do I need for a border?

At 30cm spacing, allow three plants per running metre. One pack of ten covers a little over three metres of edging.

Is it safe around cats and dogs?

It is not on our pet friendly list. Society garlic is a relative of onions and garlic, and that family causes digestive upset in dogs and cats if eaten in quantity, so site it away from a pet that grazes on foliage.

Can you eat it?

Yes, the leaves and flowers are edible and taste mildly of garlic, useful chopped through a salad. Use them in small amounts, as you would a herb.