Size
Ultimate height
0.5–1 metresTime to ultimate height
2–5 yearsUltimate spread
0.1–0.5 metresGrowing conditions
Moisture
Moist but well–drained, Well–drainedpH
Acid, Alkaline, NeutralColour & scent
Stem | Flower | Foliage | Fruit | |
Spring | Green Grey Silver | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Summer | Purple | Green Grey Silver | ||
Autumn | ||||
Winter |
Position
- Full sun
Aspect
West–facing or South–facing
Exposure
Sheltered Hardiness
H6Botanical 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
Accepted
How to grow
Cultivation
Easy to grow in fertile well-drained soil. Add grit when grown in clay soils to improve drainage. See allium cultivation for further advice
Propagation
Propagate by seed, sowing in containers in a cold frame when just ripe or in the spring. Alternatively, remove offsets in autumn
Suggested planting locations and garden types
- Cottage and informal garden
- City and courtyard gardens
- Coastal
- Gravel garden
- Wildlife gardens
- Cut flowers
- Flower borders and beds
Pruning
No pruning required
Pests
Generally pest-free
Diseases
Generally disease-free but may be susceptible to onion white rot and downy mildews
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.