Fragrant False-garlic (Nothoscordum borbonicum)

Fragrant False-garlic (Nothoscordum borbonicum), making its annual appearance this month at front fences across the metropolitan.

Although an occasional pasture weed in Victoria’s north and northwest, and a listed environmental weed in the Goulburn, Nothoscordum appears to have evolved primarily for the purpose of insinuating itself into Melbourne’s front gates and box hedges. This Central and South American native was introduced to Melbourne in Handasyde, McMillan’s 1864 catalogue and now emerges every November, urgent and wholly unintentional, from many of the most well-kept suburban addresses.