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Size
Ultimate height
0.1–0.5 metresTime to ultimate height
2–5 yearsUltimate spread
0–0.1 metreGrowing conditions
Chalk
Clay
Loam
Sand
Moisture
Moist but well–drained, Well–drainedpH
Acid, Alkaline, NeutralColour & scent
Stem | Flower | Foliage | Fruit | |
Spring | Blue Green | Green | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Summer | Blue Green | Green | ||
Autumn | ||||
Winter |
Position
- Full sun
Aspect
East–facing or South–facing or West–facing
Exposure
Sheltered Hardiness
H5Botanical details
- Family
- Amaryllidaceae
- Native to the UK
- No
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Habit
- Tufted
- 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
- Siberia to C. Asia, Pamir and Tien Shan Mts
How to grow
Cultivation
Easy to grow in fertile well-drained soil. Add grit to clay soils to improve drainage. See allium cultivation for further advice
Propagation
Propagate by seed sown in containers in a cold frame when ripe or in the spring or remove offsets in autumn
Suggested planting locations and garden types
- City and courtyard gardens
- Rock garden
- Wildlife gardens
- Coastal
- Cottage and informal garden
- Gravel garden
- Mediterranean climate plants
- Low Maintenance
- Cut flowers
- Flower borders and beds
Pruning
No pruning required
Pests
Susceptible to onion fly
Diseases
Susceptible to onion white rot and a 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.