Short Season Hardy Leek Grex Thought I'm two years into

[Steph S]

Our season is long enough to grow leeks, since they mostly don't mind the cold, but too short to get them to produce seeds. 
This Mammoth leek selection has put on at least one flower every year in sundry potting or planting situations, but as yet failed to produce any viable seeds, even in its best year and with American Flag also flowering to contribute.
OTOH it appears healthy and continues to reproduce itself by 'pearls'.  When I went to pull the dead flower stalk this season there were two pretty enormous pearls shaped like cloves of garlic.  I ate one of them and was favorably impressed - very crisp, earthy flavor with just a hint of leek.  I think the pearls themselves would make good eating (and IDK, is this what elephant garlic tastes like?).  I was going to use the second pearl for something special, but left it laying in the pot and when I looked again it had sprouted.  So I think I will keep these going and perhaps try making a perennial spot for them to multiply themselves by pearls for planting out.  Would eat the pearls too if I can make a bigger patch.  Their hardiness is unknown, being overwintered in the greenhouse so far, but I will try the shady side of the garden for sure, since American Flag was perennial for years but didn't survive the move to the sunny side.

[Cathy A]

Elephant garlic tastes like a mild form of garlic. It's a leek, not a true garlic, but tastes more like garlic than like normal leeks.

Elephant garlic also forms heads made of large cloves, rather than side "pearls".

[William Schlegel]

I've been so busy with work and tomatoes that I haven't done anything with leeks in a few years. The hardy ones produced a little seed again in 2023.