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Allium 'Summer Drummer'
  • RHS Plants for pollinators

allium 'Summer Drummer'

'Summer Drummer' is an extremely tall and late-flowering ornamental cultivar. Spherical, tightly-packed flowerheads of small, pale purple flowers are borne after midsummer

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Size
Ultimate height
1.5–2.5 metres
Time to ultimate height
1–2 years
Ultimate spread
0–0.1 metre
Growing conditions
Chalk
Clay
Loam
Sand
Moisture
Moist but well–drained, Well–drained
pH
Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
Colour & scent
StemFlowerFoliageFruit
Spring Green
Summer Purple
Autumn
Winter
Position
  • Full sun
Aspect

East–facing or South–facing or North–facing or West–facing

Exposure
Sheltered
Hardiness
H5
Botanical details
Family
Amaryllidaceae
Native to the UK
No
Foliage
Deciduous
Habit
Columnar upright
Potentially harmful
Bulbs may irritate skin. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling
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 in full sun. Add grit when grown in clay soils to improve drainage. Plant in autumn. See allium cultivation

Propagation

Propagate by offsets in autumn

Suggested planting locations and garden types
  • City and courtyard gardens
  • Cottage and informal garden
  • Wildlife gardens
  • Cut flowers
  • Flower borders and beds
Pruning

No pruning required

Pests

Generally pest-free

Diseases

Onion white rot and a downy mildew may occur

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.