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Bulbs

Allium carinatum subsp. pulchellum

keeled garlic

Rapidly clump-forming, bulbous perennial to 60cm in height, almost evergreen, with narrow leaves on the lower part of the stem, the new leaves produced with the rich purple, bell-shaped flowers that are borne in dense, elongated umbels, during midsummer

Synonyms

Allium cirrhosum
Allium flexum var. capsuliferum
see moreAllium pulchellum
Allium flavum var. purpurascens
Allium coloratum
Allium flavum var. pulchellum

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Ultimate height

0.5–1 metres

Time to ultimate height

2–5 years

Ultimate spread

0.1–0.5 metres

Chalk

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Moist but well–drained, Well–drained

pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun

Aspect

South–facing or East–facing or West–facing

Exposure

Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Amaryllidaceae
Native to GB / Ireland: No
Foliage: Semi evergreen or Evergreen
Habit: Clump forming
Potentially harmful: TOXIC to pets - see the HTA guide to potentially harmful plants for further information and useful contact numbers
Genus: Allium are bulbous herbaceous perennials with a strong onion or garlic scent, linear, strap-shaped or cylindrical basal leaves and star-shaped or bell-shaped flowers in an umbel on a leafless stem
Name status: Unresolved

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow in full sun and fertile well-drained soil. It is best to grow in containers where garden soil is heavy clay and prone to saturation over winter. Rapidly forms clumps but is not a nuisance. See allium cultivation

Propagation

Propagate by offsets which can be carefully detached by lifting the bulb after flowering has finished. See bulb propagation

Suggested planting locations and garden types

City and courtyard gardens
Coastal
Cottage and informal garden
Gravel garden
Patio and container plants
Wildlife gardens
Flower borders and beds

Pruning

No pruning required, other than to remove old flowered stems and foliage

Pests

May be susceptible to allium leaf miner and onion fly

Diseases

May be susceptible to onion white rot, and onion downy mildew

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