Identifying Three Mystery Plants in a Las Vegas Backyard

A Las Vegas resident wants to identify three plants growing wild in their yard. Plant One resembles flat-leaf garlic chive but has purple flowers. Plant Two has bright purple flowers and lacy leaves, growing low like lantana. Plant Three looks like Plant One but with wider leaves and no flowers. The gardener wonders if any are edible chives.

Expert Identification: Plant One is likely Society Garlic (Tulbaghia violacea) – crush a leaf to confirm a garlic scent. Plant Two appears to be Moss Verbena (Verbena tenuisecta), a groundcover with fine foliage. Plant Three could be Onion Chives (Allium schoenoprasum) or Garlic Chives (Allium tuberosum), identifiable by their onion/garlic scent when crushed; chives eventually produce white flower clusters. If no scent is present, it might be a lily species. Always verify edibility with a local expert before consuming.