Position – Full sun
Soil – Well-drained
Flowering Period – Summer
Hardiness – Fully hardy
Allium are bulbous perennial plants with strong and upright leafless stems, often rounded flower heads and strap-shaped leaves. They are one of the most popular bulbs due to their bold colours and extensive flowering period. They’re great for adding late spring and summer colour, providing interest to borders and containers. They’re also excellent for cutting and their seedpods can be used as decoration too. You should expect to see Allium grow to an approximate height of 90-120cm (36-48”).
Allium are best planted in well-drained soil of sand, loam, chalk or clay within an acidic, alkaline or neutral PH balance. They are best positioned in an area of full sun, planted to a depth of 10-15cm, spacing companion bulbs approximately 10-15cm apart. If you have heavy soils you may wish to blend in some grit or organic matter to improve drainage. Smaller sized Allium such as ‘Purple Sensation’, sphaerocephalon and atropurpureum look great when planted en masse whereas larger varieties such as ‘Globemaster’ and cristophii, are best planted in small groups or even individually.
Once the flowers have gone over, leave the seedheads for additional interest throughout the remainder of the year. Leave foliage in-tact as this will provide your bulb with enough energy for the following season. There should be no reason to lift your bulbs during the winter as they are fully hardy. Instead, you should mulch the base of your plant well with mushroom compost.
It is possible to propagate Allium by seed during the spring or by removing offsets during the autumn.
