Allium altissimum 'Goliath'
Allium altissimum 'Goliath'
Early-flowering, deciduous bulbous perennial producing short-lived, strap-shaped mid-green foliage and spherical heads of purple-pink flowers on straight stems to 1.8m tall. 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 grow to conceal the leaves as they die back
Size
Ultimate height
1.5–2.5 metresTime to ultimate height
1–2 yearsUltimate spread
0.1–0.5 metresGrowing conditions
Moisture
Moist but well–drained, Well–drainedpH
Acid, Alkaline, NeutralColour & scent
| Stem | Flower | Foliage | Fruit | |
| Spring | Pink Purple | Green | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer | Pink Purple | Green | ||
| Autumn | ||||
| Winter |
Position
- Full sun
Aspect
South–facing or West–facing
Exposure
Sheltered Hardiness
H6Botanical 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
Accepted
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 seed, sowing in containers in a cold frame when just ripe or in the spring and by offsets 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
- Wildflower meadow
- 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
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