Alliums are one of our favorite flowers with their dramatic stalks growing up to five feet high and spheres of brilliant purple, blue or white flowers crowning the top. They add whimsy and texture to your garden with their unique blooms. They are also like shining beacons for bees and butterflies, and we know how essential these pollinators are to a successful garden. Providing a welcome for them would be reason enough to plant alliums, but there are so many more!
With over 750 species, you will find the perfect one to fit in your garden. The traditional looking Gladiator Allium features purple blooms. While the Graceful Beauty Allium boasts white flowers, and the Zamin Allium has blue blooms. For a whimsical display, we recommend the Hair Allium or Schubertii Allium. Using different varieties, you could fill your borders, perennial beds and containers with a rainbow of color from spring through late summer. Many alliums make great cut flowers, too.
Best of all, you can pretty much plant them and forget them. Alliums aren’t fussy about soil, as long as there is adequate drainage. They thrive in full sunlight, but many species perform well in a shady woodland setting. They multiply easily in the garden, yet not so fast that they take over, so they can remain in the same space for years.
The allium family includes edibles like onions, garlic, shallots and leeks, so most species have a scent that will repel deer, rodents and other garden pests. And at the same time, alliums are attracting bees and butterflies for better garden pollination.
Be sure to add allium bulbs to your garden in the fall for spring and summer blooms. Browse our selection of allium varieties today.
