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Allium karataviense red- and pink-flowered
  • RHS Plants for pollinators

Bulbous perennial producing broad strap-shaped, fleshy blue-green leaves and large, densely-packed spherical heads of pink or red star-shaped flowers on stems to 25cm tall produced in summer. The flowers are followed by seed heads resembling firework sparklers

Synonyms
Allium 'Pink and Red Giant'
Size
Ultimate height
0.1–0.5 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 Red Grey Silver Green
Summer Pink Red Grey Silver Green
Autumn
Winter
Position
  • Full sun
Aspect

South–facing or West–facing

Exposure
Sheltered
Hardiness
H5
Botanical details
Family
Amaryllidaceae
Native to GB / Ireland
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.

Suggested planting locations and garden types
  • Cottage and informal garden
  • Gravel garden
  • Patio and container plants
  • Rock garden
  • Wildlife gardens
  • City and courtyard gardens
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

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