South Yorkshire,
United Kingdom 
i have a plant gowing in the cabbage like leaves flowers that appeared in big white balls then opened out to long stems with small white hooked flowers the tip of the hook is purple and it has a strong herblike smell can u identify
2 Oct, 2010
Answers
Sounds like ornamental cabbage. Not a cauliflower gone to seed is it?
2 Oct, 2010
cauli - flowers are pale yellow like any brassica Beattie. and i dont recognise the description at all
2 Oct, 2010
It sounds almost like one of the broader-leaved milkweeds, such as Asclepias latifolia. Still pretty vague though.
2 Oct, 2010
Sounds like an Allium to me. I think the guest means that it was growing in a cabbage patch? A rogue onion or garlic perhaps?
Asclepias are unlikely Tug. The only ones I have seen outside over here are A. syriaca and forms of A. incarnata. The two tender ones A. currasavica and A. tuberosa or even less seen outside.
ps, if you have access to seed of A. speciosa I'll pay for them Tug. I've been wanting this species for ages!
3 Oct, 2010
Sorry, Fractal, I don't have any myself, but I did find this:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEW-ASCLEPIAS-SPECIOSA-SHOWY-MILKWEED-20-SEEDS-/370437477276
Hope that helps!
I didn't even think of the possibility of an Allium, mainly due to the description of the leaves--don't know which one would be blooming at this time, anyway.
4 Oct, 2010
Thats great Tug, thanks for that link. Last time I looked on there....none.
4 Oct, 2010
Just bought a couple of packets! Thanks again.
4 Oct, 2010
Glad I could help!
4 Oct, 2010
Previous question
this is where a photo would be invaluable. Dont recognise it from the description . sorry.
2 Oct, 2010