Not the plant you're looking for? Search over 300,000 plants

Allium 'Haarlem Superglobe'
  • RHS Plants for pollinators

Hybrid group of perennial, bulbous plants, producing densely-packed spherical heads of star-shaped flowers, in shades of pink, purple or white, on straight stems to 70cm tall in May and June, above short-lived, mid-green leaves. The foliage is often wilting and turning brown when the flowers appear, and for best visual effect, the bulbs should be sited so that adjacent plants can grow to conceal the leaves as they die back. The flowers are extremely attractive to bees and other pollinating insects, making the plant a wonderful addition to a wildlife garden.

Size
Ultimate height
0.5–1 metres
Time to ultimate height
1–2 years
Ultimate spread
0.1–0.5 metres
Growing conditions
Chalk
Loam
Sand
Moisture
Moist but well–drained, Well–drained
pH
Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
Colour & scent
StemFlowerFoliageFruit
Spring Pink Purple White Green
Summer Pink Purple White Green
Autumn
Winter
Position
  • Full sun
Aspect

South–facing or West–facing

Exposure
Sheltered
Hardiness
H5
Botanical details
Family
Amaryllidaceae
Native to the UK
No
Foliage
Deciduous
Habit
Clump forming
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

Easy to grow in full sun and a fertile well-drained soil. It is best to grow in containers where garden soil is heavy clay and prone to saturation over winter. See allium cultivation

Propagation

Propagate by offsets to obtain plants the same as the mother bulb, which can be carefully detached by lifting the bulb after flowering has finished. See bulb propagation. Propagation by seed may not produce plants that are true, as this is a hybrid plant

Suggested planting locations and garden types
  • Cottage and informal garden
  • Patio and container plants
  • Wildlife gardens
  • City and courtyard gardens
  • Cut flowers
  • Flower borders and beds
Pruning

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

Pests

May be susceptible to slugs, snails and allium leaf miner

Diseases

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

Get involved

The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.