Prefers a rich moist but well-drained soil. Plants grow well in a heavy wet clay soil in north-west England, where they are self-sowing. Plants are shade tolerant, they are easily grown in a cool leafy soil and grow well in light moist woodland. Plants are not very hardy outside the milder areas of Britain, they tolerate temperatures down to between -5 and -10°c. The bulbs should be planted fairly deeply. There are two forms of this species. The sub-species A. paradoxum paradoxum produces mainly bulbils instead of flowers, this form is naturalized in Britain and can spread quite invasively. The sub-species A. paradoxum normale does not form bulbils. It produces a large umbel of flowers in the spring and is very ornamental at this time. It is not invasive. The seeds have an oil-bearing appendage which is attractive to ants. The ants carry the seed away to eat the oil and then discard the seed, thus aiding dispersal of the plant. Grows well with most plants, especially roses, carrots, beet and chamomile, but it inhibits the growth of legumes. This plant is a bad companion for alfalfa, each species negatively affecting the other. The picked flowers can remain fresh for several weeks. Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer.

Bulb - raw or cooked. The rather small bulb is up to 10mm in diameter, it has a mild garlic flavor and can be used as a flavoring in salads and cooked foods. It is harvested in early summer when the plant has died down and will store for at least 6 months. Leaves - raw or cooked. A leek substitute. The leaves are available from late autumn until the spring, they are nice in salads when they are young, or cooked as a vegetable or flavoring as they get older. The leaves have a milder and more delicate flavor than onions. Flowers - raw. Juicy with a mild garlic flavor, they make a tasty and decorative garnish on salads.

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a greenhouse or cold frame. It germinates quickly and can be grown on in the greenhouse for the first year, planting out the dormant bulbs in the late summer of the following year if they have developed sufficiently, otherwise grow on in pots for a further year. Stored seed can be sown in spring in a greenhouse. Bulbils, harvested in mid to late spring, can either be planted immediately or be stored and then planted in late summer. Division in summer after the plants have died down. Very easy, the bulbs divide fairly freely and can be dug up then replanted direct into their permanent positions if required.

Hedge banks and waste places on damp soils.