Allium sativum, known as garlic, from William Woodville, Medical Botany, 1793. Garlic aioli sativum is a perennial flowering plant growing from a bulb. The leaf blade is flat, linear, solid, and approximately 1. The plant may produce pink to purple flowers from July to September in the Northern Hemisphere.

Identification of the wild progenitor of common garlic is difficult due to the sterility of its many cultivars, which limits the ability to cross test with wild relatives. Allium sativum grows in the wild in areas where it has become naturalized. There are two subspecies of A. Döll, called Ophioscorodon, or hard-necked garlic, includes porcelain garlics, rocambole garlic, and purple stripe garlics. It is sometimes considered to be a separate species, Allium ophioscorodon G. There are at least 120 cultivars originating from Central Asia, making it the main center of garlic biodiversity. Garlic is easy to grow and can be grown year-round in mild climates.

While sexual propagation of garlic is possible, nearly all of the garlic in cultivation is propagated asexually, by planting individual cloves in the ground. Garlic plants can be grown closely together, leaving enough space for the bulbs to mature, and are easily grown in containers of sufficient depth. When selecting garlic for planting, it is important to pick large bulbs from which to separate cloves. There are different varieties of garlic, most notably split into the subspecies of hardneck garlic and softneck garlic. The latitude where the garlic is grown affects the choice of type, as garlic can be day-length sensitive. Garlic scapes are removed to focus all the garlic’s energy into bulb growth. The scapes can be eaten raw or cooked.

Garlic plants are usually hardy and not affected by many pests or diseases. Garlic plants are said to repel rabbits and moles. Botrytis neck and bulb rot is a disease of onion, garlic, leek and shallot. Botrytis allii and Botrytis aclada cause this disease in onion and Botrytis porri causes it in garlic. The phytochemicals responsible for the sharp flavor of garlic are produced when the plant’s cells are damaged.

Among alliums, garlic has by far the highest concentrations of initial reaction products, making garlic much more potent than onion, shallot, or leeks. Although many humans enjoy the taste of garlic, these compounds are believed to have evolved as a defensive mechanism, deterring animals such as birds, insects, and worms from eating the plant. A large number of sulfur compounds contribute to the smell and taste of garlic. Allicin has been found to be the compound most responsible for the “hot” sensation of raw garlic. This chemical opens thermo-transient receptor potential channels that are responsible for the burning sense of heat in foods. The process of cooking garlic removes allicin, thus mellowing its spiciness.