Bulbous perennial about 40cm or more tall, with lance-shaped, grey-green basal leaves to 50cm long. Open, cup-shaped pale lilac-pink flowers, with a central greenish-black ovary, form rounded clusters with a flattened top, up to 7cm across, in early summer
0.5-1 metres
0.1-0.5 metres
| Season | Stem | Flower | Foliage | Fruit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | ||||
| Summer | ||||
| Autumn | ||||
| Winter |
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 allium leaf miner and onion fly
May be susceptible to onion white rot, and onion downy mildew