This was a surprise sighting the other day, standing out in sharp contrast to the cow parsley, tall grass and common wildflowers alongside my local stream, Roath Brook, here in Cardiff. Though its scientific name is Nectaroscordum siculum, it’s a member of the Allium family, the same family that brings us delicious edibles like onions, chives, garlic and leeks. Of course, that also means it has smelly leaves when crushed, though it can, apparently, be used as a culinary herb. This is not a British native – it comes from southern and eastern Europe – so it might be a garden escapee or the result of a bird dropping a seed.