13 Magnificent Allium Varieties With White, Yellow, Pink And Purple Flowers
Reviewed By COLIN SKELLY
Colin is a Horticulturist and Horticultural Consultant with experience in a range of practical and managerial roles across heritage, commercial and public horticulture. He holds the Royal Horticultural Society’s Master of Horticulture award and has a particular interest in horticultural ecology and naturalistic planting for habitat and climate resilience.
IN THIS GUIDE
Genus Allium, belonging to Family Amaryllidaceae, encompasses 1,018 accepted species (at the last count!).1Allium L. (n.d.-b). Kew Royal Botanic Gardens. Retrieved March 9, 2023, from https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:30000901-2
These are perennial bulbous herbs and their native range covers the entirety of the temperate and sub-tropical Northern Hemisphere.
Most of them bloom in the late spring to early summer bridge season while some bloom through summer.
“Alliums are hugely versatile at a time of year when spring flowers have gone or are about to go over and early summer flowers are yet to begin,” says Horticulturist Colin Skelly.
“They also come in contrasting heights, from diminutive species 25-30cm high (suitable for pots or border edges) to the very tall, such as A. ‘Summer Drummer’ at up to 2.5m high, suitable for rising through a border or through mixed planting.”
These plants, like others in the Amaryllis Family, are distinguished by their narrow linear or strap-like foliage or cylindrical, hollow leaves.2Allium (Onion, Ornamental Onions). (n.d.). North Carolina Extension. Retrieved April 4, 2023, from https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/allium/
Usually these are of a deep, viridian colour which is bright on some species, greyish on others, and with a bluish tint on some.
Underneath we present selected ornamental Alliums in a range of heights and a variety of colours including white, yellow, pink, and purple.
1) A. tuberosum
Also called Chinese Chives – this variety grows to about 40cm.
It bears umbels of small, star-shaped white flowers.
They have the bonus of being scented; flowering in late summer and into autumn, Chinese Chives is a late bloomer among Alliums and will extend the season of interest in a mixed planting.
It is native to Tibet and the Himalayas.
2) A. neapolitanum
Also called Naples Garlic, is actually an ornamental onion.
It reaches a height of only 25-30cm but has a spread twice as big.
It too bears umbels of small, star-shaped flowers that are pure white.
They also have the bonus of being fragrant.
It blooms in late spring through early summer.
3) A. ‘Mount Everest’
This is an ornamental onion that is quite tall at about 90cm.
It produces pure white pom-pom-like inflorescences which are very large at about 15 centimetres in diameter.
This species’ flowers last relatively long on the plant or in a vase.
It blooms in late spring through early summer.
RHS Award of Garden Merit recipient.
4) A. flavum
Yellow-Flowered Garlic is a small variety at only about 30cm high with no spread to speak of.
It produces umbels of buttery, sunny yellow bell-shaped ‘sundrops’.
The umbels are open or loose, and the florets are pendent – it blooms in late spring through early summer.
It is native to the Mediterranean region to West-Central Asia and is a recipient of the RHS Award of Garden Merit.3Allium flavum. (n.d.). Royal Horticultural Society. Retrieved March 9, 2023, from https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/827/allium-flavum/details
5) A. senescens
Ageing Allium is a type of chive.
Another small variety, it grows to only about 30cm, bearing somewhat sparse and delicate tufty umbels.
Their colouring is equally delicate, being of whitish-pinkish lilac hues.
It blooms in early and mid-summer and is indigenous to Siberia through the Koreas.
This variety has also received the RHS Award of Garden Merit.
6) A. stellatum
The Prairie Onion rises to 50-60cm.
It bears big, rounded 8-10cm umbels with a profusion of scented star-shaped small flowers.
They are of a delightful soft pink shade.
Another late bloomer among Alliums, it flowers from mid-summer into autumn and extends Alliums’ season of interest.
It is native to the United States.
7) A. ‘Eros’
Reaches a height of 40-50cm and has a roughly equal spread.
It bears big dome-like inflorescences about 10cm wide.
These have tiny star-shaped flowers of a lovely light lilac to light purple hue with a darker radial stripe along each petal.
It blooms in early to mid-summer.
8) A. oreophilum
Pink Lily Leek grows to only 20-30cm with no spread to speak of.
It bears sparse, loose umbels of small bright candy-pink flowers.
Each petal has a red radial stripe and the visible yellow stamens add further colour, while the flowers are fragrant.
It is indigenous to South Central Asia from the Caucasus to Turkestan.
9) A. cernuum
Lady’s Leek is of small-to-medium height at 40-45cm.
Its umbels bear tiny flowers in nodding, pendent form.
These dainty bell-shaped flowers are of a soothing soft pink to soft lilac tone with which the prominent yellow stamens make a fine contrast.
This plant is native to the United States.
10) A. caeruleum
Azure-Flowered Garlic is medium-to-tall in height at 60-80cm and its spherical inflorescences, comprising of star-shaped florets, are but 3cm across.
But this is a very special variety because of its colour: stunning true blue; even azure.
It blooms in late spring to early summer and is native to a swath of land from Siberia down to Turkestan.
11) A. cyaneum
Also called Dark Blue Garlic, this variety grows to a mere 25cm and has a clumping form.
Its leaves are among the narrowest and it produces small clusters of tiny, pendent bell-shaped flowers.
The colour ranges from soft lilac to rich violet with which the yellow stamens make a strong contrast.
Its native range is from Tibet through Korea.
This plant is yet another recipient of the RHS Award of Garden Merit.
12) A. ‘His Excellency’
An architectural variety made so by the height of its stalks and the size of its inflorescences.
It attains a height of up to 1.2m and its large pom-pom-like globular inflorescences are about 12cm wide.
These are tightly packed with countless tiny star-like florets in a pleasing mauve-purple colour.
It blooms from mid-spring to mid-summer.
13) A. ‘Ambassador’
A spectacular architectural plant that reaches a height of up to 1.2m.
It produces massive spherical inflorescences that would put any pom-pom to shame.
These are up to 20cm across and are tightly packed with innumerable tiny star-like florets.
The colour is an eye-catching and gorgeous deep, rich purple.
It blooms from mid-spring to mid-summer.
Recipient of the RHS Award of Garden Merit.
A. ‘Universe’ and A. hollandicum ‘Purple Sensation’ are two more options that bear spherical inflorescences in shades of purple.
Both are recipients of the RHS Award of Garden Merit.
