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Allium moly
  • RHS Plants for pollinators

yellow garlic

Vigorous bulbous perennial producing short-lived, narrow, strap-shaped grey-green basal leaves to 12cm long, usually produced in pairs, and clusters of bright yellow, upward facing star-shaped flowers on stems to 25cm tall, appear in summer

Other common names
golden-flowered garlic
lily leek
see moremoly
sorcerer's garlic
yellow onion
Synonyms
Allium moly var. luteum
Allium aureum

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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 Yellow Green Grey Silver
Summer Yellow Green Grey Silver
Autumn
Winter
Position
  • Full sun
Aspect

South–facing or West–facing

Exposure
Sheltered
Hardiness
H6
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

Correct

Plant range
Europe, NW Africa

How to grow

Cultivation

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 seed, sowing in containers in a cold frame when just ripe or in the spring and by division of clumps in spring. See bulb propagation

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