Tulbaghia ''Sweet scent ®'
Tulbaghia ‘Sweet Scent®’ (also known as Tulbaghia ‘Cariad’)
Plant type
Perennial
Height / spread
Approx. 25–35 cm tall / approx. 20 cm wide
Flowering
Late spring to summer (often continuing into autumn)
Striking, star-shaped flowers held on sturdy stems
Flower colour
Mauve with a bright orange centre
Personal evaluation
This is something of an outlier among our Tulbaghia selections. A very compact plant with fine foliage, but with an exceptionally pleasant sweet fragrance — quite unlike most Tulbaghia.
Also known as Society Garlic. ‘Cariad’ is Welsh for “darling” or “beloved” and refers to a hybrid bred by Liz Powney, who formerly maintained a National Collection of Tulbaghia.
A vigorous, clump-forming perennial with narrow, strap-shaped leaves and umbels of eye-catching flowers, mauve in colour with an orange centre, flowering from June through November.
Both the leaves and flowers are edible and add a mild, agreeable garlic flavour to salads and dishes, without the typical strong aftertaste — hence the name Society Garlic.
Position
Full sun to light partial shade
Soil
Well-drained; dry to moderately moist
Water requirements
Low — very drought-tolerant once established
Maintenance
Very low-maintenance
Removing spent flowers encourages prolonged flowering
Hardiness
Moderately hardy
In the ground, plant in a sheltered position; in containers, light winter protection is recommended
Uses
Borders, containers, planters, prairie-style plantings, climate-adaptive gardens
Additional features
Aromatic • Edible • Pollinator-friendly