Three Cornered Leeks – how to enjoy this naughty plant!
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Three cornered leeks are so named for a good reason, their stems are three cornered! When cut or snapped the cross section is triangular with a hole in the middle.
How to identify three cornered leeks
Apparently, they can be confused with white bluebells (bit of an oxymoron!), although they smell quite different. See here for how to identify three cornered leeks. They are also known as snowbells and allium triquetrum.
Why are three cornered leeks considered naughty?
I say this is a naughty plant because, as it says on Wild Food UK …
“An invasive species brought over to the UK from the Mediterranean,
it is an offence under Schedule 9 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act in England and Wales to plant or otherwise cause to grow this species in the wild.”
Three Cornered Leeks and Wild Garlic
Three cornered leeks are very similar to wild garlic (in fact they are sometimes known as three cornered garlic) and they flower at the same time. They are a little milder and sweeter so they are particularl good served raw in salads and as garnishes especially as the whole plant is edible (see Wild Food UK for lots of useful information on three cornered leeks) they can make a meal very pretty!
Having said that they can be used in the same way as wild garlic and I feel it would be cheating if I just repeated all my wild garlic ideas. Instead see my post on wild garlic here for lots of info and ideas and do the same with three cornered leeks. So I apologise that this post is so short but I hope it helps you enjoy these delicious plants.
Three cornered leeks and wild garlic flower at about the same time and are both very well worth picking. But if you just want one of them when you are out foraging here is what they both look like.
Suzy Bowler
Having been a somewhat itinerant chef for over 30 years I was amazed, on my return to the UK, at the blatant food waste that now seems to be rife in the country; amazed and irritated. So much so that I decided to start a blog about spontaneous cooking from leftovers to show people that there are great alternatives to throwing food away.
One Comment
Anita
Now I know what these are I realise I can eat them rather than consign them to the garden waste bin – they are pretty rampant in my garden so it may take a while – thanks for your help!