Allium siculum (syn. Nectaroscordum siculum), known as honey garlic, Sicilian honey lily, Sicilian honey garlic, or Mediterranean bells, is a species of plant in the genus Allium. Native to parts of Europe and the Middle East, the species is grown commercially as an ornamental and culinary herb.
It has showy clusters of gracefully drooping bell-shaped blossoms produced in May to early June sitting atop a tall green stem, to 1.2 m in height. The florets (blossoms), suspended on long drooping pedicels, are cream colored with a maroon streak down each petal, have white flared tips, and are tinted green at the base. The blossoms are followed by decorative, erect seed pods in late summer. The blue-gray foliage is triangular in cross-section and strongly twisting along the length of the ascending leaves. A penetrating, sulfuric odor is released when any part of this plant is cut or handled.
Allium siculum is native to Turkey, Iran, Crimea, Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, southern France including Corsica, and Italy (Basilicata, Abruzzo, Umbria, Toscana, Sicily, Sardinia), growing in damp, shady woodland areas.
Allium siculum is a member of theAllium subgenus Nectaroscordum, which consists of only this species and Allium tripedale.
A. siculum itself comprises two subspecies:
Allium siculum is grown as an ornamental in flower gardens. It has showy, drooping blossoms, with each umbel (clusters of flowers on stalks originating in the same place) having up to 30 individual flowers, which are white, pink, and green in colour. Although the flowers initially face downwards, they turn to face upwards just before forming seedheads. It also has unusual twisted foliage. Unlike the majority of other Allium species, A. siculum grows well in shade.
In Bulgaria, the leaves of Allium siculum subsp. dioscoridis, which is known by the vernacular names 'samardala' and 'Bulgarian honey garlic', are used in the preparation of traditional spice mixes.
Similarly to onions when chopped, if Allium siculum is crushed it gives off volatile organic compounds that make the eyes water, which are termed 'lachrymatory agents'. The lachrymatory agent (Z)-butanethial S-oxide, along with several 1-butenyl thiosulfinates are detected by mass spectrometry using a DART ion source. (Z)-Butanethial S-oxide (the higher homolog of syn-propanethial-S-oxide, the onion lachrymatory agent) isolated from the plant was shown to be identical to a synthetic sample. The precursor to the lachrymatory compound, (R<sub>S</sub>,R<sub>C</sub>)-(E)-S-(1-butenyl) cysteine S-oxide (homoisoalliin), was isolated from homogenates of A. siculum, and a closely related species, Allium tripedale, and fully characterized.
A. siculum is not eaten by grazing animals, such as deer; this is thought to be because of the sulfur compounds discussed above.
In a similar manner to garlic (Allium sativum), A. siculum may also be toxic to cats and dogs.