Garlic is a plant belonging to the Amaryllis family. That kind includes about 700 species. On the whole northern hemisphere - especially in the temperate climatic zone - it occurs in wilderness, in many places it is also grown as a vegetable. Garlic is an accompaniment to many dishes, very often it is used as a decorative plant, e.g. to decorate gardens (flowerbeds and rockeries) or to arrange bouquets (dried plants). In traditional beliefs an intensive smell of garlic was meant to frighten vampires away.