Leek - Photo by cbertel
Leek is a vegetable that is a close relative of onion, garlic, elephant garlic and kurrat. The ‘stem’ or ‘stalk’ of leek is actually a bundle of leaf sheaths, which makes it a leaf vegetable.
Names
Scientific
Allium ampeloprasum var. porrum
Synonym
Allium porrum
English
Leek
Dutch
Prei
Spanish
Ajo porro
Ajoporro
Poro
Porro
Puerro
French
Asperge du pauvre
Poireau
Poirée
Poirette
Porreau
German
Aschlauch
Breitlauch
Fleischlauch
Gemeiner Lauch
Lauch
Porree
Spanischer Lauch
Welschzwiebel
Winterlauch
Italian
Porro
Taxonomy
Order
Asparagales
Family
Amaryllidaceae
Genus
Allium
Species
Allium ampeloprasum var. porrum (Leek)
Basic information and facts
Origin:
Distribution:
Annual, biennial, or perennial:
Leeks are perennial but are usually grown as an annual.
Flowers:
Leaves:
Fruits:
Climate and weather:
Leek is a temperate vegetable.
Pollination:
Leek needs cross pollination by insects such as bees, bumble bees and hoverflies.
Height:
Spacing:
Propagation:
Leek is grown from seeds.
Insect pests:
Leek moth, Onion fly
Diseases:
Rust, Phythophthora
Harvesting:
Cut the plant at the base of the ‘stalk’.
Uses:
Leek is usually cooked as a vegetable or in soups, but can also be eaten raw, for example in salads.
Crop categories
Cool temperate crops
Leaf vegetables
Mediterranean crops
Minor crops
Subtropical crops
Temperate crops
Vegetables
Pictures
Leek - Photo by karenandbrademerson
Leek - Photo by LollyKnit
Leek - Photo by Richard North
Leek flower - Photo by Duncan