Winter care: we are into the colder months. Protect newly planted or tender specimens from hard frosts, and hold off planting out until the frost risk has passed.
Meet the plant: Tulbaghia violacea, better known as society garlic, is a clump-forming South African perennial prized for its long summer show of starry lilac-pink flowers. The slim grey-green leaves smell faintly of garlic when brushed, which many gardeners find helps keep a few pests at bay. It carries an RHS Award of Garden Merit.
Hardiness and seasons: This is the one plant here to keep an honest eye on in winter. It is rated H3, which means it is fine outdoors in mild, coastal and city gardens but wants protection where hard frosts are common. The flowers appear over a long run from midsummer into autumn, held on bare upright stems above the foliage, and they are a magnet for bees and butterflies. In colder gardens the leaves die back and the plant rests below ground.
How and where to grow: Full sun and sharp drainage are the two things it really wants. Free-draining loam or sandy soil suits it, and it thrives in pots, gravel gardens and hot, sunny borders. It reaches around 50cm in height and spread. In a container you can simply move it somewhere frost-free for the coldest months, which is the easiest way to keep it happy long term.
Getting it established: Water while it is in growth through spring and summer, then keep it much drier over winter. In open ground in a cold area, a deep dry mulch over the crown gives useful insurance. Clumps build up steadily and can be lifted and divided in spring to make more plants.
What you receive: Supplied in a 9cm pot, ready to plant out or pot up.
Live Arrival Guarantee
All plants are covered by our 7-day live arrival guarantee. We pack every order in protective, sustainable packaging designed to keep your plants safe in transit, and every plant is checked before it ships. On the rare occasion something is not right on arrival, we will make it good, provided the plant is still in its original nursery pot.
Ordering in autumn or winter? Many hardy exotics arrive dormant or cut back right now. This is normal, and the best time to plant.
Seasonal by nature: what to expect
Grown outdoors, the way nature intended. Weather-tested and hardened in real UK conditions, so they thrive in your garden. A few marks on the older leaves are normal, the sign of a tough, real plant rather than a flaw.
It follows the seasons. Depending on when you order, your plant may arrive cut back, dormant or leafless. That's healthy: dormancy is the ideal time to plant.
Posted, not posed. Big leafy plants like bananas and gingers may be trimmed or gently folded to travel safely. It does the plant no harm, and it powers away again in spring.
Not sure what to expect from yours? Dormant, cut-back or weather-marked plants are all perfectly healthy and normal.
Read what to expect through the seasons
Delivery and returns
See all delivery pricing tiers
Based on your basket total, confirmed at checkout. Free delivery: Economy over £60 · Standard over £100 · Express over £150.
Order by 1pm Monday to Friday for same day dispatch. Every plant travels in protective, plant-safe packaging with tracked delivery.
Outdoor plants are sold by the size of their pot — measured in litres, with the pot diameter in cm.
A larger pot means a more established plant for quicker impact in the garden; a smaller pot is better value and
soon catches up once planted out.
9cm · 0.5L
Young plant
A young, vigorous plant and the most economical way to build up a planting. Give it a season or two and it will romp away.
~13cm · 1L
Starter
A well-rooted young plant, ready to grow on in a border or container. Great value for filling space over a season or two.
~15cm · 2L
Established
A bushier, more established plant with a developed root system — a dependable middle ground that suits most gardens.
~17cm · 3L
Garden ready
A strong, garden-ready plant that establishes quickly and makes a visible difference in its very first season.
~19cm · 5L
Instant impact
A larger, fuller specimen for immediate presence — ideal when you want the planted look straight away.
21cm+ · 7.5L+
Specimen
A mature, substantial specimen — the quickest route to an established, fully planted-up feel.
Pots that fit this plant
We recommend
How to care for Society Garlic
Plant me in full sun and protect me when hard frost threatens.
In their words
What our customers say
EP
Emily P.
Arrived just like the photos - maybe even fuller. Healthy, well-acclimated, and straight into my collection with no issues.
JR
James R.
Flawless leaves, stunning variegation, and clearly cared for by experts. It’s already a talking point in my home office.
SL
Sophie L.
Hard to find rare plants that are pet-safe. Ours arrived in perfect condition and looks amazing without any worry.
Get to know me
About Society Garlic
Tulbaghia violacea 'Purple' needs full sun and well-drained soil. It is half-hardy to around −5°C and needs protection from hard frost.
Semi-Hardy (H3): down to around −5°C. Half-hardy; reliable in mild or coastal gardens, protect in colder areas.
Rated H3, so borderline. Fine in mild, coastal and city gardens, but protect from hard frost or grow in a pot to move under cover.Read moreShow less
Rated H3, so borderline. Fine in mild, coastal and city gardens, but protect from hard frost or grow in a pot to move under cover.
Position
Full sunEast-facingSouth-facingWest-facingSheltered
Full sun. East, south or west facing, sheltered.Read moreShow less
Full sun. East, south or west facing, sheltered.
Soil
LoamSandWell-drainedAcid pHAlkaline pHNeutral pH
Free-draining loam or sandy soil. Sharp drainage is essential, especially over winter.Read moreShow less
Free-draining loam or sandy soil. Sharp drainage is essential, especially over winter.
Watering
Water through spring and summer while in growth, then keep much drier over winter to avoid rot.Read moreShow less
Water through spring and summer while in growth, then keep much drier over winter to avoid rot.
Mature size
Height0.5m
Spread0.5m
Reaches full size in 2-5 years
Growth habit
Clump-forming
Flowering
JFMAMJJASOND
Midsummer to autumn (July to October) · Pink, Purple
Foliage
Semi-evergreen
Pruning
No real pruning needed. Remove spent flower stems to keep it tidy and lift and divide congested clumps in spring.
Toxicity
Low toxicity. The leaves and flowers are edible and used as a mild garlic-flavoured herb, though the sap can irritate sensitive skin.
Native range
South Africa (Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal)
Family
Amaryllidaceae
Also known as
Tulbaghia violacea 'Purple'
Genus
Tulbaghia
Good to know
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it hardy enough to leave outside all winter?
In mild, coastal or city gardens, usually yes with sharp drainage. Where hard frosts are common it is safer to grow it in a pot and move it somewhere frost-free, or to protect the crown with a deep dry mulch.
Why is it called society garlic?
The leaves smell of garlic when crushed, but the traditional story is that the scent is polite enough to eat in company without giving your garlic away. The leaves and flowers are edible and mild.
How long does it flower?
A long time for a small plant. It produces its lilac-pink blooms from midsummer well into autumn, which is a big part of its appeal in pots and sunny borders.
Is it good for pollinators?
Yes. The scented, nectar-rich flowers are popular with bees and butterflies right through the summer, which makes it a useful plant in a wildlife-friendly garden.
Can I grow it in a container?
It is arguably at its best in a pot. Use a gritty, free-draining mix in full sun, water through the growing season, and simply move the pot under cover for the coldest months.
Are your plants treated with pesticides?
We aim to avoid using pesticides where possible, but we can't control the whole supply chain.
If the plant is going into a vivarium, terrarium or aquarium with live animals, rinse the leaves and roots well, remove any soil and let the plant dry out before adding it. We'd also suggest keeping it away from animals for a month first.
Can I see a photo of the exact plant I'll receive?
We're not able to send photos of individual plants or let you choose a specific one, as plants are selected by our team when your order is packed. Our photos show the variety and the kind of plant you can expect, and yours may vary a little in height, shape or fullness.
If a size has a code next to it, such as 9cm / B2, you're buying the exact plant pictured.
Does my plant come with a pot?
Your plant will arrive in its nursery grow pot — the plastic pot it's been growing in. We don't include a decorative pot as standard, and there's a good reason for that: it means you get to choose one that fits your space and style, rather than being stuck with something that doesn't suit your home.
It also means you're not paying extra for a pot you might not want. The nursery pot is perfectly fine to keep your plant in for a while, just pop it inside a decorative cover pot or cache pot and you're good to go. When you're ready to repot (usually after a growing season or when roots start poking out the bottom), you can move it into something more permanent with fresh soil.
If you're not sure what size cover pot to go for, check the pot selector tool listed above, you'll want a decorative pot that's a centimetre or two wider than that to give it a comfortable fit.
How big will my plant be when it arrives?
Every plant on our site includes the pot size (e.g. 12cm) and, where possible, an approximate height. That's the most reliable way to set your expectations, photos can sometimes make a plant look larger or smaller than it really is.
If you're thinking "that sounds quite small for the price," here's something worth knowing: younger, smaller plants almost always adapt better to your home than larger ones. They adjust faster to your light and humidity, put out new growth more quickly, and tend to establish stronger root systems long-term. A plant that grows into your space will usually outperform one that was already big when it arrived.
That said, every plant is an individual. The one you receive may vary slightly in height, shape, or fullness compared to the photo, that's the nature of living things, not a quality issue. We select healthy, well-established specimens, and if you ever feel your plant doesn't match what you were expecting, just get in touch and we'll take a look.
What makes your plants different from the supermarket or garden centre?
There's a big difference between a plant that's been sitting under on a retail shelf and one that's been looked after and cared for by people who specialise in exactly this.
Our plants are grown in house or sourced from specialist nurseries, many of them varieties you simply won't find at your local garden centre or supermarket. Before anything leaves us, it's checked over by our horticultural team to make sure it's healthy, well-rooted, and ready to thrive in your home. We're not shifting volume off a pallet, we're choosing plants we'd want to keep ourselves.
When you buy from a supermarket, you get a plant and a generic care label. When you buy from us, you get the knowledge that comes with it, detailed care guidance, a team you can actually contact if something isn't going right, and the confidence that what's arriving has been looked after properly from the moment it was grown to the moment it reaches your door.
We're a specialist nursery first, not a retailer that happens to sell plants. That's the difference, and you'll see it the moment you open the box.
What should I do when my plant arrives?
First things first, unbox it as soon as you can. Plants don't love being in dark boxes any more than you would, and the sooner yours is out and breathing, the better.
Remove all the packaging carefully, give the soil a check with your finger, and water lightly if it feels dry. Then find it a spot with appropriate light, but avoid putting it straight into harsh direct sun or next to a radiator. Think of it like arriving somewhere new after a long journey: it needs a moment to adjust.
It's completely normal for your plant to look a little tired or droopy after transit. This is called transit stress, and most plants bounce back within a week or two. You might see a yellow leaf or some drooping, don't panic, and resist the urge to overwater or start repotting straight away.
Our advice for the first couple of weeks: leave it in its nursery pot, water it only when the top layer of soil feels dry, and let it acclimatise to your home's light, temperature, and humidity. Once it's settled in and showing signs of new growth, you can think about repotting or moving it to its permanent spot.
Every plant we sell comes with a care guide on the product page so you'll know exactly what it needs going forward. And if anything doesn't look right, get in touch with our team, we're always happy to help.
Will my plant survive being shipped?
Yes! and we go to serious lengths to make sure of it. Every plant is hand-packed by our team with protective wrapping and secure, custom-designed boxes to keep it stable and safe in transit. We've shipped hundreds of thousands of plants across the UK and our packaging methods have been refined over years to handle the bumps and jolts of delivery.
During colder months, we monitor weather forecasts and offer heat packs where needed to protect against frost. In extreme conditions, we may hold your order for a day or two rather than risk sending it out, we'd rather you wait an extra day than receive a stressed plant.
That said, plants are living things, and the occasional transit wobble can happen. If your plant arrives damaged or isn't in the condition you'd expect, just get in touch within 7 days with a photo, and we'll make it right, whether that's a replacement or a full refund. No fuss.
The short version: we treat every box like it's going to someone who really cares about what's inside, because it is.
Every order is hand-packed in eco-friendly, protective packaging - refined through thousands of deliveries to ensure your plant arrives healthy, hydrated, and looking its best.
Backed by our Live Arrival Guarantee.
Perfect for Gifting
From rare collector’s pieces to easy-care favourites, our plants arrive fully potted and ready to enjoy. Add a personalised note at checkout for a thoughtful finishing touch.
Delivered fresh, beautiful, and gift-ready.
Sustainability at Heart
All plants are ethically sourced from trusted growers, never wild-collected. Every order ships carbon-neutral in minimal-waste packaging.
9cm / 0.5L
