We’re heading into late autumn, and that means peak bulb-planting time. As long as the soil is not frozen, you can plant for next spring and summer. Alliums are one of the most rewarding, and least demanding, of bulbs. As a category these eye-catching flowers offer so much more than the giant purple balls that their name may conjure—although we love those, too. Alliums can be ample or petite, loose or compact, white, near-blue, lilac, pink or purple, native or exotic. They offer flowers for pure ornament, for pollinators, for floral stylists, and for the (supper) table. And the best part? Squirrels and critters don’t eat them. Neither do deer. Mostly. (Deer be deer.)
But here are 14 other reasons to grow Alliums.
Photography by Marie Viljoen.
1. They are perennial.
This may be obvious to experienced gardeners, but the fact that you can plant alliums, walk away, and enjoy them for years to come, is a bonus.
2. Alliums are excellent in pots.
For container gardeners, allium bulbs can be dropped neatly into a pot that is already occupied. I use a narrow hori to make the hole. Plant three to five in a pot (which should be least 12 inches in diameter), and combine them either with annuals, perennials, or even shrubs. I grow mine with cilantro, sown in spring, and with roses, in large pots.
3. They are meadow-friendly.
In wilder, less formal plantings, alliums can blend with grasses and other species.
4. They offer structure and texture.
Whether low-growing and loose, like A. schubertii, or statuesque on slender stalks, alliums’ signature symmetry offers immediate structure and rhythm within a loose and wild planting, or above a more austere palette, like the hostas above.
5. Alliums can be luminous.
White alliums are especially luminous when lit by the sun in the morning or late afternoon. Plant them where you can enjoy that radiance.
6. They are low-maintenance.
There’s wisdom in the liberal use of alliums in public plantings: Once in the ground and watered, they require no more care. As long as they see sunlight and have good drainage, alliums will thrive.
7. They have beautiful seed heads.
Their intact flower structure persists even after the blooms have faded, extending alliums’ season of interest by several weeks. As each flower sets seed it turns green and plump. When the seeds dry they are released (to make thread-like baby alliums the following year).
8. And excellent skeletons, too!
One of best things about a spent allium pom-pom is that it turns gradually and gracefully into a piece of ephemeral art—a beautiful, brittle skeleton. These also last indefinitely indoors, in a (waterless) vase.
9. Bees love them.
Bees and other pollinators love allium flowers, which will be a center of winged activity for as long as they bloom.
10. They are sustainable.
Some native alliums suffer from habitat loss or over-harvest. Menu-trendy ramps are Allium tricoccum, best known as a wild food, and gathered from that wild. You can grow your own ramps from seed, or from market-bought bulbs. Their thumbnail-sized umbels are white, and appear in summer. Ramps need spring sunshine and summer shade, and grow well in pots, too. Read more here: How to grow Ramps in a Pot.
11. All alliums are edible.
All alliums flowers are edible, while only some of the bulbs are viewed as food (garlic, leeks, onions, ramps, etc.). Even ornamental allium blossoms make exquisite, star-like garnishes atop pretty bites and salads.
12. They are adaptable and economical.
No budget for buckets of alliums? Leeks have thrillingly statuseque flowers. Sow seed in early spring and expect flowers the following year (leeks are perennials, like other alliums), or buy established leek starts online or at your favorite edible nursery for same-year blooms.
13. They’re incredibly versatile.
Everyone likes plants that work hard. Pungent and delicious garlic chives flower in early fall, months after most alliums. Extend your season of bloom (and available food for bees) by including clumps in borders, or in your small-space container garden; just remember not to cut the developing flower stems when they form in early summer.
14. They’re cold-hardy.
If you live where the winters freeze, alliums are you. Many are hardy down to USDA zones 3, but check the variety or cultivar for specific guidelines. Most alliums require a serious winter, while others will perform well in milder regions.
Keep Them Alive:
- Alliums relish full sun but can tolerate dappled shade
- Ramps like spring sun and summer shade
- Alliums hate having soggy bottoms: They need good drainage, or they may rot
- A good allium bulbs is firm: toss out any that are partly dessicated or mouldy.
- Plant 3 to 5 inches deep (smaller varieties at 3, the giants at 5)
See also:
- DIY Decorating with Dried Alliums, Your Garden’s Readymade Baubles
- A Garden From Scratch: The No-Work Plants I Swear By
- Your First Garden: What You Need to Know Before You Plant Bulbs
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