Alliums are a diverse group of flowering onions which are care-free and resistant to rodents, rabbits, and deer. They thrive in full sun but will tolerate a bit of shade. Valued by gardeners for adding stately drama to the garden, they are also beloved by pollinators. If that isn’t enough to excite you, alliums are wonderful in cut flower arrangements and the dried seed heads remain accents in the garden long after the blooms fade. They’ve been grown in cottage gardens dating back to the 16th century and many heirloom varieties are still available today.
Most of us are familiar with the tall globe alliums, those large purple flower balls so popular in spring landscape plantings. These somewhat alien-looking spheres grow from bulbs planted in the fall. Foliage emerges in early spring and then dies back as the giant flowers appear like reverse punctuation marks amongst late tulips and spring perennials. Combined with white Ornithogalum Magnum and Lady’s Mantle, the effect is magical. When planting, be sure to tuck allium bulbs behind perennials that will hide the dying foliage. Tall globe alliums come in different shades of purple as well as white and grow 36 to 48″ tall in hardiness zones 5 to 8.
Allium Christophii, also known as Star of Persia, tops my list as the star of my bulb garden. In early June, the 8 to 10-inch silvery-violet blooms absolutely sparkle in the garden! Although not as tall as the more well-known globe alliums, the huge blooms have the appearance of flower fireworks, immediately drawing one’s attention. The color and form blend perfectly with roses and peonies, but the most wonderful thing about Allium Christophii is that the giant flower heads dry perfectly right on the stem and last for weeks after blooming, thus extending the show into summer. Allium Christophii is a robust plant that grows 18 to 24″ tall and is suited for hardiness zones 4 to 8.
Looking for an allium that blooms late season? The common garlic chive is usually found in the herb garden since you can use the mild-tasting garlicky leaves and flowers in cooking. When added to the perennial border, however, the long-lasting soft white blooms add late summer into fall interest along with asters, sedum, purple coneflowers, and black-eyed Susans. Be prepared for a lot of buzz as these little flowers will attract a variety of bees and butterflies to your garden! The seed heads also remain visually interesting well into fall but you’ll want to remove these at the end of the season or the plants can aggressively self-sow. Garlic chives are about 20″ tall and are easy to grow in hardiness zones 3 to 10.
I hope I’ve encouraged you to try alliums in your garden. There are many to choose from and, once you’ve planted the bulbs, you’ll enjoy the stunning flowers for years to come as they slowly multiply and enhance the beauty of your garden!
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‘Purple Sensation’ is one of my very favourite flowers!
. . . and also one of mine, Phao!
I love Alliums. I have lots of drumsticks growing, but haven’t been so lucky with the more exotic looking ones such as Christophii which look wonderful.