Sounds like you have elephant garlic. Seems to be fairly common throughout the southern states. When allowed to multiply freely from both divisions and seeds, it reverts to what you describe. Many then call it wild leek, which is what it really is except that it is feral rather than truly wild!

Martin

So is it garlic I can eat or leek? I didn't know leeks had cloves. Sorry I am totally new to garlic!
I can try to post a picture if it helps...

Not the best pic, but the best I could do considering the length. Most of the other bulbs are bigger than that.
{{gwi:362790}}

Yup that looks like elephant garlic

Can this be used like regular garlic or should I just toss it until I can get some "real" garlic?

Elephant garlic can be used like regular garlic . It is milder than regular garlic but great for cooking and for roasting. It is sold in the grocery stores as a specialty garlic
The Garlic Lady

I think Elephant garlic is the YUMMIEST! It has that full garlic flavor without the bite. And when roasted, it's just like garlic butter. mmm. Mine are nearing harvest...

*dances around impatiently*

First, Pumpkin Queen, welcome to the forum. Just be cautious, because garlic and onion growing is highly habit forming---worse that heroin. If you hang out here, we'll hook you.

Now, to clarify for you. Elephant Garlic is, technically, a leek. It is one of a group of bulbing leeks which differentiates into cloves. So it looks like garlic on steroids; thus it's name.

Elephant Garlic has a mild garlicky taste some prefer. And the bulbs can grow 6 or more inches in diameter, which is always impressive.

The typical gardener (or gourmet, for that matter) has never heard of bulbing leeks, other than Elephant Garlic, so don't feel bad that you didn't understand.

The major groups of edible alliums are garlic (which has two subspecies we commonly call hardneck and softneck); leeks; and onions.

Onions, themselves, are composed of several subgroups, so you'll hear us talk about common (or dry) onions; multipliers, shallots, and some off-beat ones like Rakkyo.

The multipliers subdivide into bulbing types and topsetting types.

Then there are a bunch of minor groups, such as chives, ramps, etc. that we also discuss from time to time.

None of this is as confusing as it initially sounds. And you've already learned the first rule: if you don't know something, ask.