Jan–MarApr–JunJul–SepOct–Dec
Planting
Days to maturity
Seasonal yields
Sow indoors · Direct sow · Transplant outdoors
← Explore Plants
Plant · P-177
Leek
Allium ampeloprasum
Leek yields edible bulbs, leaves, flowers and bulbils - the highest edibility rating in this collection - with leaves available from autumn through spring, giving a genuine standing cool-season harvest rather than a single-cut crop. Its aroma deters deer and is reputed to repel moles and insects, though those two claims are hedged rather than firmly documented. In a hot-summer climate it grows only as a cool-season crop, sown in late fall or early winter and set out in early spring, resting through summer heat; it also inhibits nearby legume growth, so it should never share a guild bed with a nitrogen fixer. All parts are toxic to dogs, cats, horses, cattle and sheep, causing a cumulative blood disorder from repeated small exposures, so beds need to stay behind stock-proof fencing and trimmings must never reach a paddock or compost that poultry work.
Record at a glance
Growing profile
- Sun
- Full Sun
- USDA zone
- USDA 5–10
- Soil
- Silt · Loam
- Moisture
- Well-Drained · Moderate
Vertical layer
Herbaceous- Soil pH
- 5.2–8.3
- Plant type
- Perennial
- Mature height
- 3–4 ft
- Mature spread
- 12–24 in
- Plant spacing
- 6–12 in
- Root type
- Bulb
- Spread pattern
- Seed
Keep exploring
Similar plants
Discover more plants with shared forest layers or growing conditions.
Adzuki Bean
Vigna angularis (Willd.) Ohwi & H.Ohashi
Adzuki is the odd one out among the beans in this group: a very hot summer is actively too hot for it, since heat above about 35C damages…
Herbaceous · USDA 3–11
African Eggplant
Solanum aethiopicum
African Eggplant, also called gboma or scarlet eggplant, is a West and Central African relative of eggplant that gives two harvests from one…
Herbaceous · USDA 8–12
Alfalfa
Medicago sativa
Alfalfa is a deep-rooted perennial legume grown worldwide as one of the richest forage crops available, its taproot running six metres or…
Herbaceous · USDA 4–11
Aloe Vera
Aloe vera
Aloe Vera is a stemless, clump-forming succulent with thick, spiny-edged leaves that store a clear gel used to soothe burns, wounds and skin…
Herbaceous · USDA 10–12
Alsike Clover
Trifolium hybridum
Alsike Clover fixes nitrogen in wet, acid ground too cold and heavy for red clover to thrive in, and its flowers keep bees working all season…
Herbaceous · USDA 5–9
Amaranth Greens
Amaranthus tricolor
Amaranth greens are one of the few leafy vegetables actually built for peak summer heat rather than one that just tolerates it - sown once…
Herbaceous · USDA 2–11
The deeper layer
Plan what comes next.
- Primary
- Locked ecological function
- Secondary
- Locked ecological function
- Byproduct
- Locked ecological function
Behind the record
- Locked research reference
- Locked research reference
- Locked research reference