The Onion-leaved Asphodel, or burwaq in Arabic, is an annual or biennial herb, native to the Arabian Peninsula, northern Africa and the Mediterranean. The numerous, narrow leaves appear close to the ground, reaching a height of some 15 cm; the flower spike, looking like a candelabrum, grows up to 30 cm. The tiny, single white flowers are star-shaped with a thin, red line in the middle of each petal. They appear in spring. The fruits are egg-shaped capsules and the root system is fibrous. The Asphodel prefers sandy or loamy soil, and grows in wadis, rocky or sandy deserts. Propagation is very successful by seed, and the plant is also self-seeding. It also has uses as medical plant. The crushed leaves can be applied to ulcers or boiled in water and drunk as a diuretic or laxative. A. fistulosus is an indigenous desert plant in the Arriyadh region with usefulness for landscape design, and is a good plant for natural planting schemes in rock or steppe gardens as well as for the renaturalisation of hillsides or as a coloniser.