Size
Ultimate height
0.1–0.5 metresTime to ultimate height
1 yearUltimate spread
0.1–0.5 metresGrowing conditions
Moisture
Well–drainedpH
Neutral, AlkalineColour & scent
| Stem | Flower | Foliage | Fruit | |
| Spring | Green | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer | Green | |||
| Autumn | Green | |||
| Winter |
Position
- Full sun
Aspect
South–facing or West–facing
Exposure
Sheltered Hardiness
H3Botanical details
- Family
- Amaryllidaceae
- Native to GB / Ireland
- 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
Unresolved
How to grow
Cultivation
Best grown from seed. Sow outdoors from late March - April in any well drained soil in full sun. Sow thinly at a depth of 1cm and a distance of 30cm between rows; when large enough to handle thin shallot seedlings to 4cm. Cover with biodegradable fleece to protect from birds and insects. See Vegetable Cultivation
Propagation
Propagate by seed. See sowing vegetable seeds
Suggested planting locations and garden types
Pruning
No pruning required
Pests
May be susceptible to onion fly. Birds may be a problem when young, cover with fleece to prevent birds pulling out bulbs
Diseases
May be susceptible to onion white rot, leek rust, downy mildew
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.