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
1.5-2.5 metres
0.1-0.5 metres
| Season | Stem | Flower | Foliage | Fruit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | ||||
| Summer | ||||
| Autumn | ||||
| Winter |
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
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
No pruning required, other than to remove old flowered stems and foliage
May be susceptible to slugs, snails and allium leaf miner
May be susceptible to onion white rot, and onion downy mildew