They originate from the Mediterranean area, and have been cultivated for up to 4000 years. The crop is mainly grown in the Perth Metropolitan Area. The main area for leek production in Australia is in Victoria. The leek is grown for its thickened cylindrical 'stem' or shank which is made up of long leaf bases.
Leeks are biennial, but are grown as a short-lived annual in commercial cropping.
Leeks are mainly used to flavour soups and casseroles and they can also be used raw in salads. Leeks are a good source of vitamins, minerals and fibre. A problem with the crop is that it takes 21 to 30 weeks to reach maturity from transplanting and plants also spend 8 to 16 weeks in the nursery or seedbed before transplanting. Two crops can be grown in a year. Some growers crop consecutively, as there is less build-up of soil diseases compared with other vegetables.