26 Best Garlic Varieties to Plant in Zone 5 Easily

Garlic can be grown anywhere in the world, be it in freezing cold or scorching hot. The trick to successfully growing garlic is choosing the suitable variety that will develop in your region’s climate. For warmer temperatures, it’s best to grow softneck garlic varieties. For colder climates like in hardiness zone 5, hardneck garlic varieties are the ones you should go for. 

If you want some more suggestions of what else you can grow in zone 5 check out these articles: 20 Best Perennial Vegetables to Grow in Zone 5 Easily or 13 Attractive Semi-Dwarf and Dwarf Ornamental Trees to Plant in Zone 5

If you ended up on this article and you love garlic but aren’t in zone 5, or you have a greenhouse, check out our other articles: 20 Best Garlic Varieties You Need to Try & Start Planting or 11 Rare Garlic Varieties You Need to Try At Least Once in Your Life

Here are the best hardneck garlic varieties you should grow in Zone 5:

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Let’s start with the Rocambole garlic type. These usually have a white outer layer with significant stripes of red or pink. They’re not known to have the prettiest covers, but they more than make it up with flavors every chef dreams of. 

1. Russian Red

• What is the flavor profile? It has the kind of heat to it that kicks you in the face with a rich flavor that screams GARLIC!
• How many cloves typically grow per bulb? 6-8 large cloves per bulb. 
• How long can it be stored? About 4-6 months. 
• Fun fact: It is said that this garlic variety only came to North America because of Russian immigrants, the Doukhobors fleeing to the country in the 1800s. I’m no history buff, but that’s kind of fascinating.

2. Carpathian

• What is the flavor profile? The flavor is pungently flavorful and spicy, which lasts quite a while after you’ve eaten it. Good luck.
• How many cloves typically grow per bulb? 8-9 medium-sized cloves per bulb.
• How long can it be stored? About 6 months. 
• Fun fact: This garlic comes from the Carpathian mountains in Southeast Poland.

3. Killarney Red

• What is the flavor profile? If you like your garlic really strong, hot, and long-lasting, this is the garlic that keeps giving. 
• How many cloves typically grow per bulb? 8-12 medium-sized cloves per bulb.
• How long can it be stored? About 6 months. 
• Fun fact: It is somewhat similar to Spanish Roja and may have come from it, or German Red since its point of origins is unknown. We do like having a mysterious garlic in our midst.

4. German Red

• What is the flavor profile? It has a musky garlic flavor with an intense spiciness that keeps you wanting more.
• How many cloves typically grow per bulb? 8-12 medium-sized cloves per bulb.
• How long can it be stored? About 4-5 months. 
• Fun fact: It is said that this particular garlic variety can be traced all the way back to gardeners of German descendants from Idaho. 

5. Spanish Roja/Greek/Greek Blue

• What is the flavor profile? It has a strong, bursting, intense garlic flavor.
• How many cloves typically grow per bulb? 8-12 medium-sized cloves per bulb.
• How long can it be stored? About 4-8 months. 
• Fun fact: This garlic variety arrived in the US, specifically in Portland, Oregon, somewhere just before the 1900s. 

Next, we have the Porcelain garlic type. True to its name, it has a pristine white outer layer around the bulb, though each clove is typically covered in shades of red or brown. These are the hardiest types that grow well in frigid climates with the added benefit of their long storage life.

6. Music Garlic

• What is the flavor profile? It has a strong garlic flavor with medium heat to its bite.
• How many cloves typically grow per bulb? 4-7 huge cloves per bulb.
• How long can it be stored? About 8-9 months. 
• Fun fact: It’s so popular and commonly grown in Canada, particularly in the eastern parts of the country that it is also known as the ‘Ontario garlic’. 

7. Georgian Crystal 

• What is the flavor profile? It has a mild but enjoyable garlic flavor with moderate heat. 
• How many cloves typically grow per bulb? 4 significantly large cloves per bulb.
• How long can it be stored? About 7-8 months. 
• Fun fact: You can thank the hardcore botanists who collected them in the Republic of Georgia and brought them back to North America sometime in the 1980s. 

8. Persian Star

• What is the flavor profile? It has a savory, complex taste reminiscent of wild garlic. 
• How many cloves typically grow per bulb? 6-8 medium-size cloves per bulb.
• How long can it be stored? About 5-6 months. 
• Fun fact: It was first discovered in a market in Uzbekistan. It’s also one of the very few garlic you can grow from its true seeds successfully instead of its cloves.

9. Romanian Red

• What is the flavor profile? It has medium heat and a solid smack-in-your-face garlic flavor when eaten raw. Cook it though, and you’ll get a mellow and sweeter flavor instead.
• How many cloves typically grow per bulb? 4-5 extra large cloves per bulb.
• How long can it be stored? About 7-8 months. 
• Fun fact: Supposedly, it has the highest percentage of allicin in its content compared to most garlic. Allicin is a compound that makes garlic known for its medicinal benefits and that hot flavor.

10. Polish Hardneck

• What is the flavor profile? It has a garlic flavor that comes wrecking through your tastebuds. Luckily, it doesn’t have that much heat to it.
• How many cloves typically grow per bulb? 4-6 large cloves per bulb.
• How long can it be stored? About 8-9 months. 
• Fun fact: As its name suggests, it came from Poland, which makes sense that it thrives very well in cold weather.

11. Georgian Fire

• What is the flavor profile? It has a pungent flavor with a kick that keeps hitting your face even when after you’ve stopped eating it.
• How many cloves typically grow per bulb? 6-8 large cloves per bulb.
• How long can it be stored? About 7-8 months. 
• Fun fact: It originated from the Republic of Georgia. Whether or not they were brought over by the same hardcore botanists, I wouldn’t put it past them.

12. German Extra Hardy/German White/Northern White

• What is the flavor profile? It has a lasting spicy kick to it with a very pungent flavor when it is eaten raw. Definitely cook it for a bit to soften the overall taste unless you’re Van Helsing trying to fight off Dracula.
• How many cloves typically grow per bulb? 4-6 large cloves per bulb.
• How long can it be stored? About 10 months or more. 
• Fun fact: Because of its medicinal purposes, it is often eaten raw or sliced thinly and boiled to create a homemade remedy for the common cold. So maybe add this in your chicken noodle soup next time you are feeling under the weather.

Then, we have the Purple Stripe garlic type, which is characteristically known for its white and vibrant purple streaks.

13. Chesnok Red

• What is the flavor profile? It has a moderately spicy garlic taste that prevails even after being cooked.
• How many cloves typically grow per bulb? 8-12 medium cloves or 4-6 large cloves per bulb.
• How long can it be stored? About 5-7 months. 
• Fun fact: It came from the Republic of Georgia too! Ok, I’m beginning to wonder if it’s the same group of botanists who are responsible for bringing these garlic varieties back to the US.

14. Red Grain

• What is the flavor profile? It is quite spicy when eaten raw but turns sweet after being cooked.
• How many cloves typically grow per bulb? 8-12 medium-sized cloves per bulb.
• How long can it be stored? About 3-5 months. 
• Fun fact: Surprise, surprise, it came from the Republic of Georgia yet again! Someone really needs to put a tracker on those botanists bringing garlic out of there and into the country.

And then we have the Marbled Purple Stripe garlic type. This differs slightly from the Purple Stripe garlic type due to the darker purple streaks all over their white outer skin.

15. Red Siberian

• What is the flavor profile? When cooked, it has a surprisingly creamy and mildly spicy taste.
• How many cloves typically grow per bulb? 5-8 medium-sized cloves per bulb.
• How long can it be stored? About 6-8 months.
• Fun fact: Siberian villagers had the option to pay their taxes with garlic up to the 18th century! Imagine that, endless garlic supply in the tax office.

16. Bogatyr Garlic

• What is the flavor profile? It is really spicy, so if you’re looking for the garlic that will give you a good sweat, try this on for size.
• How many cloves typically grow per bulb? 6-8 large cloves per bulb.
• How long can it be stored? About 8 months. 
• Fun fact: It is one of the world’s favorites thanks to its huge bulbs, longer shelflife, and deliciously spicy flavor. Seriously, the heat is something else.

17. Metechi

• What is the flavor profile? It is robust, flavor-packed, and ready to smash your tastebuds with plenty of heat.
• How many cloves typically grow per bulb? 6-8 large cloves per bulb.
• How long can it be stored? About 6 months. 
• Fun fact: I’m no longer surprised that this came from the Republic of Georgia. Hail the botanists!

Next, there’s the Glazed Purple Stripe garlic type. It’s a bit hard to distinguish this from its other Purple Stripe relatives. But it has an almost glossy appearance on its white and purple striped outer skin.

18. Purple Glazer

• What is the flavor profile? It has a mild flavor with a bit of sweetness. 
• How many cloves typically grow per bulb? 6-10 large cloves.
• How long can it be stored? About 7-9 months. 
• Fun fact: This garlic originated from Central Asia in the Tien Shan mountain range, where Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan are. Scientists had to actually go there and conduct studies to confirm their origins!

19. Red Rezan

• What is the flavor profile? It has a particularly intense garlic flavor with very little spice to it.
• How many cloves typically grow per bulb? 5-7 large cloves per bulb.
• How long can it be stored? About 4-6 months. 
• Fun fact: It is said that this garlic variety originated from Russia in the southeastern parts of Moscow.

Then, there is the Asiatic garlic type. These have your standard white and purple outer skin with cloves covered in brown or auburn. Despite its known short storage life, this is one of the fastest-growing varieties and matures quickly. Because of this, it can be grown multiple times a year. 

20. Korean Red

• What is the flavor profile? It has a moderate spiciness with a surprisingly subtle citrus flavor to it.
• How many cloves typically grow per bulb? 7-10 medium-sized cloves per bulb.
• How long can it be stored? About 3-4 months. 
• Fun fact: It is a favorite among garlic growers because of its ability to develop up to jumbo size with multiple bulbs. Talk about being multitalented.

21. Korean Mountain

• What is the flavor profile? If you like mild, spicy garlic flavor, this is the garlic for you! 
• How many cloves typically grow per bulb? 7-10 medium-sized cloves per bulb.
• How long can it be stored? About 6 months. 
• Fun fact: Depending on how you grow it, you can get double cloves within each bulb. In the garlic world, that’s equivalent to getting two yolks in an egg!

22. Pyong Vang

• What is the flavor profile? When eaten raw, it has your typically spicy, intense garlic flavor. When cooked, it has a pleasant, almost nutty flavor. Amazing what a little fire and oil can do to change its taste.
• How many cloves typically grow per bulb? 7-10 medium-sized cloves per bulb.
• How long can it be stored? About 6 months. 
• Fun fact: This particular garlic variety came from North Korea in the Pyongyang village. 

23. Asian Tempest

• What is the flavor profile? It packs a lot of heat and bites back if you prefer eating your garlic raw. When cooked through, the taste becomes more sweet and flavorful.
• How many cloves typically grow per bulb? 5-7 large cloves per bulb.
• How long can it be stored? About 6 months. 
• Fun fact: It’s more often known as the go-to gourmet garlic for its flavor profile, so it’s primarily used in restaurants and very few home gardens.

Last but not least, there is the Turban garlic type. It has light stripes of purple over its white outer skin, with cloves covered in a deeper purple or pink color. If you’re wondering about its type name, it does somewhat resemble a turban, albeit flat and squat-shaped.

24. Red Janice

• What is the flavor profile? It has a musky, rich garlic taste with a whopping kick when eaten raw. But when it is cooked, there is a sweet taste with no spice in sight!
• How many cloves typically grow per bulb? 5-8 large cloves per bulb.
• How long can it be stored? About 4-5 months. 
• Fun fact: There are several speculations about its origins. Some say it probably comes from The Republic of Georgia, which wouldn’t be that surprising. Still, some also say it may be from a Narazeni village near the Black Sea.

25. Blossom

• What is the flavor profile? It has a bearable spice level when eaten raw, which becomes mild after it is cooked.
• How many cloves typically grow per bulb? 5-8 large cloves per bulb.
• How long can it be stored? About 4-5 months. 
• Fun fact: It is said that it originated from China, specifically in the Temple of Heavens. 

26. Xian

• What is the flavor profile? It has the characteristic kick-in-your-face heat when you eat it raw. Thankfully, it turns mild and sweet after cooking like most Turban garlic types.
• How many cloves typically grow per bulb? 5-8 large cloves per bulb.
• How long can it be stored? About 3-5 months. 
• Fun fact: There seems to be a story surrounding this particular garlic. It was named after a fair, Chinese woman who had only two things she loved in life – the sky and her homegrown garlic. This garlic is named after the region she settled down in after she traveled far from home to explore the world. Talk about a hardcore garlic lover, though.

Final Words

These are but a small handful of garlic varieties you can try growing in your garden. In reality, there are actually about 600 kinds of garlic in the world. So be like the curious botanists – go forth, explore the garlic world, and go nuts. Happy planting! 😀

References:

https://ag.umass.edu/vegetable/fact-sheets/garlic

https://extension.psu.edu/garlic-production#section-2

https://www.canr.msu.edu/uploads/resources/pdfs/e3371_wcag_2.08.pdf

https://wilkes.ces.ncsu.edu/2020/10/growing-a-successful-garlic-crop/

https://www.uaf.edu/ces/garden/garlic/

https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/garlic-allium-sativum/

https://aces.nmsu.edu/pubs/_h/H234/welcome.html

https://today.oregonstate.edu/news/get-your-garlic-primer-planting-growing-and-harvesting