Can You Grow Garlic as Flowers? How Garlic Blooms Work, What to Expect, and How to Grow It for Ornamental Flower Heads

Essential Concepts

• Yes, garlic can produce a flower stalk and a rounded flower head, but many common garden types form bulbils (tiny “top-set” cloves) and abort many true flowers before they set seed. (eFloras)
• Garlic “flowers” form at the tip of a stalk called a scape, which is most common in hardneck (bolting) garlic; many softneck types usually do not make a scape. (WSU Extension Pubs)
• If you let garlic put energy into a scape and flower head, bulbs are often smaller; research has found large yield reductions when scapes are left on. (Cooperative Extension)
• You can grow garlic primarily for its ornamental scapes and heads by choosing bolting types, spacing a bit wider, keeping fertility steady, and accepting a tradeoff in bulb size. (WSU Extension Pubs)
• Bulbils collected from the flower head can be planted, but they commonly take multiple seasons to reach full-size bulbs, and they are not automatically disease-free. (ScienceDirect)
• True seed from garlic is uncommon because cultivated garlic is typically sterile, though scientific literature describes rare fertile lines and seed production under certain conditions. (Springer)
• Scapes are usually removed for maximum bulb production; if your goal is flowers, you remove fewer scapes, or remove them selectively. (WSU Extension Pubs)

Background or Introduction

Garlic is usually grown for its underground bulb, but it is still a flowering plant with a seasonal reproductive cycle. When conditions and genetics align, many garlic plants push up a stiff stalk and form a rounded head made of many small structures that can include true flowers, bulbils, or both. (eFloras)

Home gardeners often ask whether garlic can be grown “as flowers” because they want ornamental height, a sculptural bloom, or a pollinator-friendly allium without switching to purely ornamental species. That interest is practical, but it comes with real tradeoffs. In garlic, the same scape that makes the flower head can also pull resources away from bulb growth, and the “flower head” is frequently dominated by bulbils rather than seed-forming blossoms. (Cooperative Extension)

This article explains what garlic flowers are, which kinds of garlic are most likely to bloom, what the flower head actually contains, and how to grow garlic with flowers as the priority while keeping expectations realistic.

What does it mean when garlic “flowers”?

Garlic “flowering” usually refers to the plant sending up a scape and forming a head at the top. In strict botanical terms, garlic forms an inflorescence, meaning a cluster of many small flowers arranged together rather than a single bloom. In garlic, that cluster is typically described as umbel-like, with many small units arising from a single point at the top of the scape. (eFloras)

In everyday gardening language, two related terms often get mixed together:

What is bolting in garlic?

Bolting is the shift from leaf growth to reproductive growth, shown by the sudden emergence of the scape. Bolting is not a disease and not a mistake. It is a normal stage for many garlic types, especially those adapted to colder winters and a distinct seasonal rhythm. (WSU Extension Pubs)

What is a garlic scape?

A garlic scape is the flowering stem. It rises from the center of the plant, often begins with a curl, and ends in a papery covering that encloses the developing head. (WSU Extension Pubs)

Is flowering always the same thing as making seed?

No. In garlic, “flowering” does not reliably mean “seed production.” Many garlic plants form a head that contains numerous bulbils and only a few flowers, and those flowers are often aborted before they mature. (eFloras)

That point matters for gardeners who hope to save seed. In most gardens, the scape is more likely to produce bulbils than true seed.

Can you grow garlic as flowers?

Yes, you can grow garlic for its flower stalks and heads, and in many climates it is not difficult to get a bolting garlic type to make a showy scape. But it helps to define what “as flowers” means in practice.

If your goal is a tall stalk and a decorative head, garlic can do that, particularly bolting types. (Cabi Digital Library)
If your goal is a long season of open blossoms like many ornamental alliums, garlic may disappoint because bulbils can crowd out flowers, and flowers may be aborted. (eFloras)
If your goal is seed, garlic is usually the wrong plant to depend on, because most cultivated garlic is sterile, though exceptions exist in specialized material and controlled efforts. (Springer)

So the practical answer is: garlic can be grown for ornamental scapes and heads, but it is not a consistent seed flower and it is not always a consistent nectar-heavy bloom.

What do garlic flower heads look like?

Most garlic flower heads begin under a papery bract called a spathe. The spathe can look like a pointed sheath at the top of the scape. When it splits, it reveals a compact cluster that may include small flowers, bulbils, or both. (eFloras)

What is the spathe?

The spathe is a specialized bract that encloses the developing inflorescence. In garlic it is typically deciduous, meaning it can fall away as the head develops. (worldfloraonline.org)

What is an umbel-like cluster?

An umbel-like cluster is a rounded arrangement where many flower stalklets originate from a common point, forming a globe or dome shape. Garlic has an umbel-like inflorescence characteristic of many alliums. (Springer)

Why do some garlic heads look more like a cluster of tiny cloves than flowers?

Because bulbils can dominate the head. In a botanical description of garlic, the umbel is noted as being globose and often containing bulbils, with flowers usually aborted in bud. (eFloras)

When bulbils dominate, the head can appear granular or studded, with fewer visible open blooms.

Which types of garlic are most likely to flower?

Garlic types differ in whether they form a scape. A useful first distinction is between bolting and non-bolting types.

Which garlic types make scapes most reliably?

Hardneck garlic, commonly described as bolting garlic, commonly produces a scape. Extension guidance for home gardens describes scapes as the immature flower stems and notes that hardneck garlic is best for producing them. (WSU Extension Pubs)

Hardneck garlic is not one uniform thing. Within broad hardneck groupings, scape behavior can vary in thickness, curl, height, and the balance between flowers and bulbils. The important point for gardeners is that “bolting” genetics are strongly associated with scape formation. (Cabi Digital Library)

Do softneck types ever flower?

Many softneck types usually do not form a scape in typical garden conditions, and many have been selected for reduced bolting. (WSU Extension Pubs)

However, “usually” is the honest word here. Stress, weather extremes, and particular genetics can produce occasional scape-like growth even in types that typically do not bolt. If a gardener is choosing garlic specifically for flowers, relying on softneck types is an avoidable uncertainty.

What about “elephant garlic”?

Some gardeners use the word “garlic” for close relatives that produce large, showy flower heads. Those plants can have strong ornamental value, but they are not always true garlic in the strict sense. If the goal is specifically “garlic flowers,” it helps to be clear whether you mean Allium sativum or a garlic-like allium grown primarily for ornamental bloom.

When do scapes and flower heads appear?

In many climates, scapes appear in late spring to early summer relative to fall planting, but timing depends on winter chill, spring temperatures, day length, and the type of garlic. Garlic’s overall crop cycle commonly spans many months, with bulb formation and scape development occurring well after the plant has built enough leaf area to support bulbing. (Gardening Know How)

A practical timeline looks like this:

• Vegetative growth builds leaves through cool weather and spring.
• Scapes appear on bolting types after substantial leaf growth. (WSU Extension Pubs)
• The scape elongates, curls, and then begins to straighten as the head matures.
• The spathe splits, revealing bulbils and any developing flowers. (eFloras)

If your goal is an ornamental head, you will be watching for the moment the spathe opens, because the display value is highest when the head looks full and intact.

Should you let garlic flower?

You should let garlic flower only if flowering is your goal. If your goal is bulb yield and bulb size, the typical recommendation is to remove scapes so the plant redirects energy to bulb development. (WSU Extension Pubs)

This decision is not moral and not complicated. It is a resource allocation choice.

How much does flowering reduce bulb size?

The size reduction can be significant. Research summarized in an extension bulletin reports that leaving scapes on hardneck garlic can reduce the eventual bulb size by as much as 48%. (Cooperative Extension)

Other research summaries and reports show smaller but still meaningful yield and bulb-size effects that vary by soil type and growing conditions. One field update notes scape removal increasing bulb size and weight, with larger benefits on sandy soils than on finer-textured soils. (UD Sites)

Peer-reviewed horticultural literature also discusses scape removal effects on yield and bulb size across production systems. (ishs)

The honest takeaway is that the effect is real, but the magnitude can vary. If a gardener wants both flowers and large bulbs, the plant will force a compromise.

A small decision table: bulbs, flowers, or propagation

Your main goal	What to do with scapes	What you trade off
Largest bulbs	Remove most scapes early	Fewer ornamental heads and fewer bulbils (Cooperative Extension)
Ornamental heads	Leave scapes on more plants	Smaller bulbs on those plants (Cooperative Extension)
Bulbils for planting stock	Leave scapes to mature	Smaller bulbs and a longer timeline to get full-size bulbs (eFloras)
Mixed goals	Remove some, leave some	You manage two harvest styles at once (WSU Extension Pubs)

This table is intentionally plain: garlic does not reward vague goals. It does reward consistent choices.

How to grow garlic primarily for ornamental flower heads

If the goal is flowers, the approach changes in subtle ways. You still need healthy plants, but you do not optimize every choice for maximum bulb size.

What garlic should you plant for flowers?

Plant a bolting type that reliably forms scapes. Guidance for home gardens describes scapes as a feature most associated with hardneck garlic. (WSU Extension Pubs)

Because garlic types vary, the most practical selection rule is this: choose planting stock described as scape-forming or bolting, not just “garlic.”

What site conditions help scapes look their best?

To produce tall, straight scapes and full heads, garlic needs steady growth.

Light

Full sun supports strong growth. Insufficient light tends to reduce vigor, shorten scapes, and increase the odds of thin stems that flop.

Soil drainage

Garlic dislikes wet, airless soil. Poor drainage is a common reason plants stay stunted, which also reduces the quality of scapes and heads. Even if bulbs are not your priority, root health still controls the plant’s ability to build a flower stalk.

Soil structure

A loose, crumbly soil allows steady root expansion. Compacted soil often leads to uneven watering patterns and poor nutrient uptake. Those issues show up as scapes that stall, kink, or form undersized heads.

How much fertility does garlic need when grown for flowers?

Garlic’s scape and head are built from the plant’s stored energy and current photosynthesis. That means leaf health matters even when you do not care about the bulb.

A sensible approach is steady, moderate fertility that supports leaf growth in spring without pushing soft, weak tissue. Too little fertility can give you short scapes and small heads. Too much fast fertility can produce lush leaves that are more prone to lodging and stress, especially in windy sites.

Because soils vary widely, the practical gardener’s rule is to aim for consistent growth rather than chasing a specific fertilizer number. If you are used to feeding garlic for bulb size, you can usually keep a similar program but stop short of pushing maximum bulbing, since your target is a strong scape and head.

How should spacing change if flowers are the priority?

Wider spacing can improve airflow and reduce competition for water and nutrients. It can also let scapes stand out visually. Garlic planted very tightly can still scape, but the stalks are more likely to lean into each other and look crowded.

Spacing is also tied to disease management. Tight spacing that stays humid can increase foliar disease pressure, which can reduce the plant’s ability to mature a clean, attractive head.

How should watering change for ornamental garlic heads?

Steady moisture supports steady growth, especially during rapid scape elongation and head development. Irregular watering can produce stress responses that show up as:

• Stalled scape elongation
• Smaller heads
• Premature drying of the spathe
• A plant that shifts too quickly into senescence

At the same time, overly wet soil increases rot risk. The best description is “evenly moist, not wet,” with adjustments based on rainfall, soil type, and temperature.

Should you mulch garlic grown for flowers?

Mulch can help even out moisture and moderate temperature swings, both of which support consistent scape development. Mulch depth and material matter, but the guiding idea is to reduce stress, not to smother the crown.

If a mulch layer stays soggy against the plant base, that is a problem. If it keeps the soil evenly cool and moist without trapping excess water, it can be helpful.

How to manage scapes for the best-looking display

When garlic is grown as a flowering accent, scape management is mostly about timing and selection.

Should you leave every scape on every plant?

Not if you also want usable bulbs. Leaving every scape typically reduces bulb size, sometimes sharply. (Cooperative Extension)

A balanced strategy is to designate some plants as “flower plants” and treat the rest as “bulb plants.” That gives you flowers without giving up the entire harvest.

When does a garlic scape look most ornamental?

A garlic scape often has a graceful curl that straightens as the head matures. Display preferences vary, but many gardeners find the curl stage visually interesting, and the opened-spathe stage gives the most obvious “flower head” look.

How do you keep scapes upright?

Scapes can be tall and top-heavy once the head develops. Whether they stand straight depends on wind exposure, soil moisture swings, and the inherent thickness of the scape. If scapes lean, it is often due to gusts, uneven water, or a soil that encourages shallow rooting.

Staking is possible, but it changes the look and adds labor. The lower-effort approach is to grow scape-focused garlic where wind is reduced and growth is steady.

Should you remove the spathe?

The spathe typically splits and falls away on its own as the head develops. (worldfloraonline.org)

Forcing it open can damage the developing head. If the spathe stays tight and the head seems trapped, that can be genetics, weather, or stress. In most cases, patience is the safer choice.

Can you deadhead garlic like a normal flower?

“Deadheading” in garlic is not a standard ornamental practice because the head often includes bulbils rather than seed-forming flowers. (eFloras)

If your goal is a neat look, you can cut the scape after the head reaches the stage you want to display. That cut ends the display, but it can reduce the time the plant spends investing in the head, which can help the bulb relative to leaving the scape all season.

How to remove scapes when you want some flowers and some bulbs

If you are managing garlic for mixed goals, scape removal becomes selective.

Where should you cut a scape?

Home-garden guidance recommends carefully pinching or cutting off the scape just above the top leaf of the plant. (WSU Extension Pubs)

The cut location matters. Cutting too low can remove useful leaf tissue. Cutting too high can leave an awkward stub that may catch water and decay.

When should you cut a scape for bulb size?

For bulb size, recommendations often focus on cutting when scapes begin to curl, because they are still tender and the plant has not spent as much energy finishing the head. (WSU Extension Pubs)

However, timing advice varies by source and by goal. An extension bulletin reporting field experience indicates that removing scapes early in development can be beneficial for bulb size, and delaying removal can reduce bulb size relative to earlier removal. (Cooperative Extension)

If your goal is flowers, you do the opposite: you leave scapes longer, accepting that the bulb may be smaller.

Should you use clean tools?

Yes. Scape cutting is a wound, and wounds are pathways for pathogens. Clean, sharp tools reduce crushing and reduce the amount of damaged tissue. Because disease pressure varies by region and season, the safest habit is to treat scape cutting like pruning: clean tools and clean cuts.

Are garlic flowers useful to pollinators?

Garlic is part of a genus known for clustered flower heads that can provide accessible resources to insects, especially because many small florets are packed into one head. (ScienceDirect)

But garlic is not the same as an ornamental allium selected for abundant open florets. In many garlic types, flowers are few or aborted, and bulbils can take their place. (eFloras)

So the honest answer is:

• Garlic scapes and heads can support insect visitation when flowers open.
• The value is variable because some heads offer limited open bloom. (eFloras)
• If pollinator support is the primary goal, a gardener often gets more predictable results from ornamental alliums bred for flowering, rather than garlic grown for bulbs.

That does not make garlic flowers useless. It makes them inconsistent.

Can garlic produce true seed?

Most gardeners will never harvest true garlic seed from the flower head. Cultivated garlic is widely described in the scientific literature as sterile and propagated vegetatively. (Springer)

That said, the deeper truth is more nuanced:

• Scientific publications describe rare fertile material and successful seed production under specific circumstances. (ishs)
• Research in recent years continues to investigate the genetics and developmental mechanisms behind sterility and fertility restoration in garlic. (Frontiers)

For home gardeners, the practical guidance is simple: if you want garlic that reliably reproduces by seed, garlic is not a dependable candidate. If you want to explore the possibility, treat it as a specialized project with uncertain outcomes.

Why are garlic flowers often aborted?

Botanical descriptions note that garlic umbels often have flowers aborted in bud. (eFloras)

Research on garlic floral development and sterility points to developmental disruptions that prevent normal gamete development and seed set in many cultivated types. (ScienceDirect)

For gardeners, that translates into a visible pattern: the head forms, but the plant does not follow through to mature seed in the way an onion might.

What are bulbils, and how do they relate to garlic flowers?

Bulbils are small vegetative structures produced in the inflorescence of many bolting garlic types. They look like tiny cloves or beads packed into the head. Bulbils function as an alternative propagation method: they can be planted and eventually produce bulbs. (ScienceDirect)

Are bulbils the same as seed?

No. Bulbils are vegetative clones. Seed is the result of sexual reproduction, combining genetic material. With bulbils, you are essentially planting miniature versions of the parent line.

Do bulbils form before or after flowers?

In garlic inflorescence development, research indicates that flowers differentiate first and then bulbils initiate among the flower buds. (ScienceDirect)

That helps explain why gardeners sometimes see both structures: the plant begins along a flowering pathway, but bulbils then expand and can dominate the head.

Are bulbils always disease-free?

You should not assume that. While bulbils can be a useful way to multiply planting stock, research has documented virus particles being translocated into developing bulbils through vascular tissues. (ScienceDirect)

That does not mean bulbils are always heavily infected, and it does not mean every garden will have virus problems. It means “disease-free” is not a safe blanket claim. If disease avoidance is the priority, the most reliable approach is to start with healthy planting stock and to rogue out plants that show persistent, unusual decline.

How to grow garlic from bulbils

Growing garlic from bulbils can be satisfying if the goal is multiplication or curiosity, but it requires patience. Many sources aimed at gardeners note that bulbils often take multiple seasons to reach full-size bulbs. (Gardening Know How)

What timeline should you expect?

A common pattern is:

• Year 1: a small “round” or very small segmented bulb forms.
• Year 2 and beyond: the plant gradually reaches typical bulb size, depending on bulbil size, soil quality, and growing season length. (Gardening Know How)

The timeline can be shorter with large bulbils and ideal growing conditions, and longer with tiny bulbils or stressed growth. That variability is normal.

How do you harvest bulbils?

If bulbils are your goal, you leave scapes on until the head matures and bulbils are clearly formed and beginning to dry. Harvest timing depends on weather and plant senescence. A head harvested too early yields soft, immature bulbils that store poorly. A head harvested too late can shatter, dropping bulbils.

How do you store bulbils before planting?

Bulbils are living plant material. They store best when kept dry, cool, and well ventilated, similar to how cured garlic is stored. Exact storage life depends on humidity and temperature. If bulbils shrivel severely or mold, conditions were too dry or too damp.

Because storage outcomes vary widely by home environment, the conservative approach is to plant bulbils in the next suitable planting window rather than holding them for extended periods.

How should you plant bulbils?

Planting depth and spacing depend on bulbil size and climate. As a general principle:

• Small bulbils are planted shallower than full cloves.
• Spacing can be closer in the first year because you are not expecting full-size bulbs.

But the best depth is the depth that prevents heaving in winter, prevents drying in spring winds, and still lets shoots emerge without struggle. Those variables depend on soil texture, freeze-thaw cycles, and rainfall.

What is the biggest mistake with bulbils?

Expecting them to behave like cloves. A clove is a substantial storage organ. A bulbil is much smaller. If soil dries out repeatedly during establishment, bulbils suffer faster and recover more slowly.

How flowering relates to bulb maturity and harvest timing

Gardeners sometimes interpret a flower head as a sign the bulb is ready. That is not reliably true.

Does flowering mean garlic is ready to harvest?

Not by itself. Scapes often appear before the bulb reaches peak maturity. Harvest timing is better guided by leaf condition and bulb wrapper development than by the presence of a head. (Gardening Know How)

Why leaf condition matters

The leaves feed the bulb. As leaves die back, the plant shifts into finishing and curing in the ground. If you harvest too early, bulbs can be small and wrappers underdeveloped. If you harvest too late, wrappers can split and storage quality declines.

Because climate and varieties differ, no single leaf-count rule is perfect everywhere. Still, leaf-based assessment is more reliable than scape-based guessing. (Better Homes & Gardens)

If you grow garlic for flowers, can you still harvest usable bulbs?

Yes, but bulbs on plants left to flower are often smaller. (Cooperative Extension)

A gardener can also harvest bulbs from flower plants earlier for fresh use, accepting that they may not store as long. Storage life is affected by many factors, including maturity at harvest, curing conditions, and the inherent storage characteristics of the garlic type.

How to use garlic flowers and scapes safely in the kitchen without turning this into a recipe

Garlic scapes are edible, and some gardeners also use tender parts of the developing head. But safe handling matters because allium tissues are moist and perishable.

Basic handling

• Treat scapes like a fresh green vegetable: keep them cold, keep them from sitting wet, and use them promptly.
• If scapes wilt or become slimy, quality is declining and they should be discarded.

Exact refrigerator life varies by freshness at harvest, moisture, and temperature stability. A conservative approach is to use them within a week for best quality.

A conservative safety note about garlic stored in oil

Garlic and oil mixtures stored at room temperature are a known botulism risk because they create a low-oxygen environment that can support toxin formation. The safest guidance is to keep such mixtures refrigerated at 40°F (4°C) or lower for a short time, or freeze for longer storage. (Ask USDA)

This is included because gardeners often preserve or store garlic in ways that seem harmless. With garlic, “seems harmless” can be misleading. When in doubt, refrigerate promptly and keep storage times short.

Common problems when growing garlic for flowers

Growing garlic for flowers can expose issues that bulb-focused gardeners sometimes overlook, because the scape and head make stress visible.

Thin scapes that flop

Likely causes include inconsistent moisture, low fertility, crowded spacing, and high wind exposure. Genetic differences also matter. A plant predisposed to thin scapes will not become thick-stemmed through care alone, but stress control still helps.

Heads that never open

If the spathe never splits, the head may be underdeveloped, the plant may have shifted quickly into senescence, or weather may have pushed rapid drying. Mildly trapped heads can still be decorative. Forcing them open risks tearing the developing structures.

Heads dominated by bulbils with few open flowers

This is normal for many garlic types. Botanical sources note that garlic umbels can contain bulbils and that flowers are often aborted. (eFloras)

If open flowers are the main goal, garlic is inherently unreliable.

Disease and vigor decline

Any factor that reduces leaf area reduces the plant’s ability to build both a bulb and a head. Because bulbils are not guaranteed disease-free, repeated propagation from stressed plants can compound problems over time. (ScienceDirect)

The most practical disease strategy in a home garden is to maintain good spacing, rotate planting areas when possible, avoid replanting obviously weak bulbs, and remove plants that show persistent abnormal decline.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it normal for garlic to flower?

Yes, it can be normal, especially for bolting garlic types that naturally produce a scape and head. (WSU Extension Pubs)

If my garlic flowers, did I do something wrong?

No. A scape is often a normal developmental stage. Whether you remove it depends on whether you want larger bulbs or you want the flower head. (WSU Extension Pubs)

Will flowering garlic taste different?

Flowering mainly changes how the plant allocates energy. The clearest consistent effect is smaller bulbs when scapes are left on, not a guaranteed flavor change. (Cooperative Extension)

Can I grow garlic just for the scapes?

Yes. Plant a scape-forming type and manage for steady growth. Expect smaller bulbs on plants that are allowed to mature a head. (WSU Extension Pubs)

Should I remove scapes for bigger bulbs?

If bulb size is your priority, yes, removing scapes is commonly recommended, and research has shown substantial bulb size reductions when scapes are left on. (Cooperative Extension)

When should I cut a scape if I want bigger bulbs?

A widely used home-garden guideline is to harvest when scapes begin to curl, because they are tender and the plant has not invested as much energy into the head. (WSU Extension Pubs)

Field guidance also suggests that earlier removal can protect bulb size better than delayed removal. (Cooperative Extension)

Can I cut some scapes and leave others?

Yes. That is one of the most practical ways to get both usable bulbs and ornamental heads. (WSU Extension Pubs)

Do garlic flowers produce seeds?

Usually not in typical garden garlic. Cultivated garlic is typically sterile, though scientific literature describes rare fertile lines and true seed production under certain conditions. (Springer)

What are the little “cloves” in the flower head?

Those are usually bulbils, which are vegetative propagules formed in the inflorescence. (eFloras)

Can I plant bulbils to grow more garlic?

Yes, but they usually take multiple seasons to reach full-size bulbs, and results depend on bulbil size and growing conditions. (Gardening Know How)

Are bulbils guaranteed to be disease-free?

No. Research has documented that viruses can be translocated into developing bulbils, so you should not assume bulbils are automatically clean planting stock. (ScienceDirect)

Will letting garlic flower harm the plant?

It does not “harm” the plant in the sense of injuring it. It does commonly reduce bulb size because resources are directed into the scape and head. (Cooperative Extension)

Does a flower head mean it is time to harvest the bulbs?

Not by itself. Garlic harvest timing is better guided by leaf dieback and bulb wrapper development than by scape presence. (Gardening Know How)

Are scapes safe to eat?

They are generally treated as edible, but they are perishable. Keep them cold and use them promptly. If you store garlic in oil, treat room-temperature storage as unsafe due to botulism risk. (Ask USDA)