Family: Amaryllidaceae

Origin, Description & Uses
Tulbaghia violacea, commonly known as society garlic, is a clump-forming perennial native to the eastern regions of South Africa, from the Cape Provinces to KwaZulu-Natal. It produces narrow, grass-like leaves that release a garlic-like scent when crushed and bears clusters of attractive lavender to purple, star-shaped flowers on slender stems for much of the year. Valued for its long bloom period, drought tolerance, and low maintenance requirements, society garlic is widely grown as an ornamental in borders, rock gardens, mass plantings, and containers. It is also used in edible gardens, as the leaves and flowers have a mild garlic flavor and can be used as a culinary herb.

Risks & Threats
Society garlic is considered a low-risk species for Hawaiʻi and has not demonstrated invasive behavior in the islands. Although it may slowly spread by underground rhizomes to form larger clumps, it does not typically spread aggressively by seed or invade natural habitats. Its growth is generally easy to manage, and it poses little threat to native ecosystems when cultivated responsibly. As with any ornamental plant, gardeners should avoid disposing of garden waste in natural areas, but society garlic remains a good choice for adding color and texture to landscapes while supporting Plant Pono’s goal of promoting low-risk plants for Hawaiʻi.

High Risk Traits:

• Naturalized in New Zealand and escaped in Australia
  
• Unpalatable to deer (could provide a competitive advantage against more palatable species)
  
• Tolerates many soil conditions (and potentially able to exploit many different habitat types)
  
• A geophyte that can resprout from corms and spread vegetatively by rhizomes
  
• Self-compatible
  
• Reaches maturity in 2-3 years
  
• Seeds dispersed by water

Low Risk Traits:

• Despite ability to spread, no negative impacts have been documented
  
• Non-toxic
  
• Edible
  
• Require full sun to thrive and flower
  
• Used ornamentally