These huge bulbs can have 3-7 large cloves. Bulb wrappers are white and clove skins are tan/yellow. The name elephant garlic is a bit of a misnomer and this plant (Allium ampeloprasum) is actually more closely related to leeks than garlic. Most often enjoyed roasted in the oven, the cloves turn creamy and sweet.

When small elephant garlic cloves are planted, they often turn into rounds; a single round bulb similar in appearance to a small white onion the next season. Take the large rounds and plant them in the fall and you will get a full sized (hopefully) large elephant garlic bulb the next season. Elephant garlic also creates “corms” which are small offshoots on the outside of the bulb. These can be planted but will take at least 2 years to become full sized bulbs.

Elephant garlic does not appear to be as winter hardy as normal garlic and may not survive more harsh winters than we get here in southwestern Ontario. Northern growers, please purchase with caution/do some research as we cannot guarantee winter survival outside of our hardiness zone.