wild garlic or wild onions

Wild garlic (Allium vineale). Photo: Betty Marose

Updated: March 3, 2023

Life cycle

Perennial from bulbs.

Growth habit

Grass-like, thin leaves. Wild garlic leaves are round and hollow, while those of wild onion are flat and solid.

Reproduction

Produces clusters of many underground bulbs when mowed.

wild garlic flower
Wild garlic flower
Photo: Leslie J. Mehrhoff, University of Connecticut, Bugwood.org

Conditions that favor growth

Mowing the lawn too short, inadequate fertilization of lawn.

Management in lawns

Lawn care practices

Maintain healthy, dense turf that can compete and prevent weed establishment.

Lawn Care

Mechanical management

Hand pulling or using an appropriate weeding tool are the primary means of mechanical weed control in lawns. This is a viable option at the beginning of an infestation and on young weeds.

Manage Weeds Without Chemicals

Chemical treatment in lawns

If you choose this option, spot treat weeds with a liquid, selective, postemergent, broadleaf weed killer applied when weeds are actively growing. Look for a product with one or more of the following active ingredients: 
2, 4-D, MCPP (mecoprop), Dicamba*, or Triclopyr.

*Do not spray herbicides containing dicamba over the root zone of trees and shrubs. Roots can absorb the product possibly causing plant damage. Refer to the product label for precautions. 

Lawn Herbicides for Weed Management