Three-cornered Leek / Wild Garlic

Allium triquetrumIn Connemara you find vast carpets of this wild garlic growing in shaded and woodland areas. This variety, which has bell shaped flowers, is not native to Ireland and is more properly known as three-cornered leek/three-cornered garlic (Allium triquetrum). The native wild garlic, or Ramsons has smaller, star-shaped flowers, and wider leaves. The Three-cornered leek can spread to form carpets of white flowers. You can often smell the garlic even before you see it. It is edible  although some people (including me) find the flavour a little too pungent. A popular recipe is wild garlic pesto which takes advantage of the vivid green of the leaves. You can buy home-made wild garlic pesto in many of the country markets around Ireland.