Plant Details

Allium porrum

Leek

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Common names

25 names · 23 languages
EnglishYour language
Other languages (22)
Dutch
French
  • Poireau
  • Poireau cultivé[1]
Armenian
Chinese (Simplified)
Croatian
Czech
  • pór zahradní[1]
Estonian
Finnish
German
Greek
  • Πράσο[1]
Hungarian
  • póréhagyma[1]
Indonesian
  • Daun Bawang[1]
Italian
Japanese
Polish
  • Czosnek por[1]
Portuguese
  • Alho-poró[1]
Russian
  • Лук-порей[1]
Sinhala
  • ලීක්ස්[1]
Slovak
  • pór pestovaný[1]
Spanish
Thai
  • กระเทียมต้น[1]
Turkish
Sources & name notes (1)

Names recorded in our plant catalogue and botanical sources, grouped by language. Usage can vary by region.

Numbered references identify names recorded by an external source. Other names are from our plant catalogue.

[1] Allium porrum — iNaturalist taxon names ↗

Community-curated iNaturalist taxonomy; common-name attestation, not an independent botanical determination.

Source records
  • poro — results[1].names[1]; taxon id 158190; Allium porrum.
  • Leek — results[1].names[2]; taxon id 158190; Allium porrum.
  • Poireau cultivé — results[1].names[3]; taxon id 158190; Allium porrum.
  • Alho-poró — results[1].names[4]; taxon id 158190; Allium porrum.
  • pór zahradní — results[1].names[5]; taxon id 158190; Allium porrum.
  • porrulauk — results[1].names[6]; taxon id 158190; Allium porrum.
  • ලීක්ස් — results[1].names[7]; taxon id 158190; Allium porrum.
  • Prei — results[1].names[8]; taxon id 158190; Allium porrum.
  • Лук-порей — results[1].names[9]; taxon id 158190; Allium porrum.
  • Պրաս — results[1].names[10]; taxon id 158190; Allium porrum.
  • pırasa — results[1].names[11]; taxon id 158190; Allium porrum.
  • Daun Bawang — results[1].names[12]; taxon id 158190; Allium porrum.
  • porro — results[1].names[13]; taxon id 158190; Allium porrum.
  • Πράσο — results[1].names[14]; taxon id 158190; Allium porrum.
  • กระเทียมต้น — results[1].names[15]; taxon id 158190; Allium porrum.
  • Poriluk — results[1].names[16]; taxon id 158190; Allium porrum.
  • Czosnek por — results[1].names[17]; taxon id 158190; Allium porrum.
  • póréhagyma — results[1].names[18]; taxon id 158190; Allium porrum.
  • purjo — results[1].names[19]; taxon id 158190; Allium porrum.
  • pór pestovaný — results[1].names[20]; taxon id 158190; Allium porrum.
  • 韭葱 — results[1].names[21]; taxon id 158190; Allium porrum.
  • Porree — results[1].names[22]; taxon id 158190; Allium porrum.
  • ajoporro — results[1].names[23]; taxon id 158190; Allium porrum.
  • リーキ — results[1].names[24]; taxon id 158190; Allium porrum.

General information

Scientific name: Allium porrum
Accepted name (Kew): Allium porrum L. View name reference ↗

Accepted in the cited Kew taxonomic treatment.

Sources [1]
Botanical family: Amaryllidaceae

Kew's family placement for the genus Allium (WCVP v16).

Sources [1]
Also known as: Leek
Images: Google Images

Plant characteristics

Layer: Herbaceous, Vegetable
Catalogue size class: Small
Height: 0.90 m
Spread: - m
Growth rate: None
Foliage: None

Growing conditions

USDA hardiness: 5-9
Soil moisture:
Moist, Well-drained
Soil:
Sand (light) Loam (medium)
pH:
Acidic Neutral Alkaline
Light:
Full sun

Uses

Edible parts:
Leaves, Flowers, Root
Edibility rating:
(4)
Medicinal rating:
(2)
Functions:
Fungicide

Description

The leaves and long white blanched stems of this plant can be cooked and eaten, or thinly sliced and added to salads. They have a mild onion flavor with a delightful sweetness. The bulb can be eaten raw or cooked and is produced in the plant's second year of growth. If the plant is not in bloom, the bulb becomes slightly larger. The flowers can be eaten raw and serve as a garnish on salads, although they are somewhat drier and less flavorful than other plants in the same family.

Harvest

Harvest starts: 01/08
Harvest ends: 30/11

Sources and references

References for the information marked with source numbers on this page.

Sources checked
  1. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew World Checklist of Vascular Plants, version 16, extracted 4 June 2026
    Supports: Botanical familyTaxonomy
    Relevant sections
    • Botanical family: WCVP v16, wcvp_names.csv row 1169904; name ID 294888; Allium L.. Family column.
    • Taxonomy: WCVP v16, wcvp_names.csv row 1171611; name ID 296308; Allium porrum L..

    Source checked on .

    Source data licence: CC BY 3.0.