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Allium drummondii
  • RHS Plants for pollinators

Bulbous perennial to 30cm tall, producing clumps of grass-like, mid-green leaves and loosely spherical heads of star-shaped flowers that open pale-pink, but are darker pink in bud, giving a two-tone effect, produced over a long period from early to late spring

Synonyms
Allium nuttallii
Allium reticulatum var. nuttallii
see moreAllium helleri
Allium drummondii f. asexuale
Size
Ultimate height
0.1–0.5 metres
Time to ultimate height
1–2 years
Ultimate spread
0–0.1 metre
Growing conditions
Chalk
Loam
Sand
Moisture
Moist but well–drained, Well–drained
pH
Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
Colour & scent
StemFlowerFoliageFruit
Spring Pink White Green
Summer Green
Autumn
Winter
Position
  • Full sun
Aspect

South–facing or West–facing

Exposure
Sheltered
Hardiness
H7
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

Correct

Plant range
USA to New Mexico

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow in full sun and 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
  • Patio and container plants
  • Wildflower meadow
  • Wildlife gardens
  • City and courtyard gardens
  • Prairie planting
  • Cut flowers
  • 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

Get involved

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