Varigated Society Garlic

Society garlic is an attractive ornamental plant from South Africa whose leaves have a garlicky odor. It belongs to the lily family - as do onions and garlic The common name, society garlic, presumably refers to the plant's clump-forming habit and garlic-smelling leaves. The blossoms lack the pungent odor.

The leaves of the species are grayish-green, but the cultivar 'Silver Lace' has green leaves edged with white. A leafless stalk 1 or 2 feet tall holds seven to 20 flowers above the foliage in an umbel. The flowers are much showier than those of regular garlic. The blooms are urn-shaped, about 3/4 inch long. Six petals, each about 3/8 inch long, flare out from the top of the "urn," and six tiny scales form a corona within its throat.