Stinkin' Ingins

Allium Ursinum

There's much mair than ye micht think tae the Stinkin' Ingins that grow in profusion up the Keithy and lots o' ither places in Blairgowrie. I used tae think it stank tae high heaven but apparently it's related tae Garlic and has a' kind o' medicinal qualiies. Bears eat it but dogs should nae!It has a posh name Allium Ursinum. It is known as Wild Garlic too.

• It's called Bear Paw Garlic in some quarters because Bears are said to eat it to regain their strength when they wake up from their hibernation.
• The Germans call it Bärlauch. They call "normal" garlic Knoblauch.
• It was called "the new star" of garlic in the German health journal Therapiewoche (Therapy Week) and in 1992, was declared the European medicinal "Plant of the Year" by the Association for the Protection and Research on European Medicinal Plants
• The leaves in particular are edible and are full of stuff that's dead good for you.
• They make pills out of it and sell it tae folk.
• Stinkin' Ingins are hand-picked in the spring during a one-week period. It is harvested in the alpine regions of Europe, in particular Switzerland. Because it is wild and cannot be cultivated, only the leaves are cut; the bulb remains in the earth to ensure future supply.
• Dinnae let yer dug eat Stinkin' Ingins. He could get poisoned.
• Follow these links tae Stinkin' Ingin Web Sites tae learn mair.
  http://www.aim4health.com/bpgarlic.htm
  http://gardenbed.com/A/251.cfm
  http://www.augendiagnostik.de/Lexikon/0186a2921d05aaf01/0186a292a50ac457f.html (German)
  http://www.bioimages.org.uk/HTML/R140989.HTM