Who would have thought that this vine with enchanting purple blooms is not just simply an ornament to grow in a garden.
The Garlic Vine is locally known as "ahos-ahos" in Cebuano. A word repeated twice in Cebuano is how we address something not real, while this may be true, ahos or ajos is actually a Spanish term. There are Spanish terms we actually use wherever in the Philippines we may be, it's because of the Spanish influence during their era in the country. I assume that the garlic vine was named after the real bulbous garlic partly because of the pungent smell it emits when the leaves are crushed or simply cut which is identical to the smell of the real one. This made the garlic vine's leaves even used as alternative for garlic in cooking.
The garlic vine is quite invasive. It clings to anything around it for support. Take good care of growing it. It's woody and gets heavier as it grows. It's desireable to grow it in a strong structure or a trellis really designed for it.
Botanical Name | Mansoa Alliacea
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