The purple jiaohua (society garlic) looks so distinctive - would you like it?
The purple jiaohua belongs to the Amaryllidaceae family as a perennial herbaceous plant, a bulbous flower, with a plant height of 30-50 cm, bearing small cylindrical bulbs, and adult plants forming clumps. Apart from the flower color being different from that of Chinese chives, the appearance of the purple jiaohua is similar to that of Chinese chives in all other characteristics.
Other names of the purple jiaohua
Wild garlic, African small lily
Morphological characteristics of the purple jiaohua
The bulb of the purple jiaohua is thick and spherical, reaching 2 cm in diameter, with a white membranous leaf sheath. The leaves are mostly semi-cylindrical, slightly hollow at the center, about 30 cm long and about 5 mm wide, and the leaf sheath is 5-20 cm long.
The flower stem of the purple jiaohua is upright, 30-60 cm tall, with a spherical umbel bearing many flowers.
Growth habits of the purple jiaohua
The purple jiaohua likes light; for cultivation sites, full sun and partial sun are both ideal, but it should not be shaded. It likes high temperatures and tolerates heat, and the suitable temperature for growth is 24~30 degrees.
The purple jiaohua has no strict requirements for soil and tolerates poor soil; it blooms vigorously on fertile, well-drained sandy loam or loam.
Main values of the purple jiaohua
Ornamental: the purple jiaohua has verdant foliage, pretty flowers, fleshy petals and a long flowering period, giving it a certain ornamental value, and it is suitable for courtyard planting, potted cultivation or cut flowers.
Edible: the purple jiaohua is an edible plant, and its whole plant can be eaten. Its taste is similar to that of Chinese chives, and it contains various trace elements and vitamins, which can meet the human body's needs for various nutrients. In some regions it is also called foreign chives. There are many ways to eat it; whether stir-fried or used as filling, the taste is very tempting.
Medicinal: Li Shizhen said: "Its roots are suitable for boiling, pickling in grains, and soaking in vinegar." The root is white and used medicinally, named xiebai. Food nature and flavor: pungent, bitter, warm, slippery, and non-toxic. Main indications: chest impediment and heart pain, red and white dysentery. The odor of xiebai is similar to that of garlic, hence the name wild garlic; the root is white, also called xiebai, and is used in traditional Chinese medicine.
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