Allium sphaerocephalon

Allium Sphaerocephalon is an ornamental onion with curled, green leaves towards the base, on the top of the stem forms a compact umbel of purplish-red florets. Flowerheads start out with green colours and mature into blazing reddish-purple hues.

Compact drumstick umbels, Allium Sphaerocephalon is a unique bloom with multitudes of florets covering the umbel. Flowering delight to attract pollinators like birds, bees and butterflies to the garden area. Plant in groups or use these exotic blooms in garden flower areas. Great for planting in beds or in borders or in pots or containers and very unique as a cut flower.

Genus Allium includes a variety of cultivars which are both useful and beautiful, some of the well-known cultivars includes leeks and onions. Cultivars of the beautiful flowering varieties of Allium are commonly called ornamental onions. Allium plants are perennial geophytes with bulbs. Stalks or scapes, are long, leafless stems which rise from the bulb on which the flowerheads are produced.

Flowerheads of the Allium are often characterised by multitudes of small blooms, some with very petite petals resulting in an almost pompom look. Other blooms are larger in size and have larger petal sizes, and typical flowerheads are spherical or rounded in shape.

Allium are hardy plants and can tolerate cold weather up to zone 4. Sun-loving, Allium prefers to bask in the sun’s rays all day long and can tolerate some shade. Must be planted in the autumn prior to freezing so roots are able to initially set before the coming cold.

Hardy growers, Allium is tolerant of most soil types and conditions as long as they are well-drained. Drought-resistant Allium is great for adding splashes of colour to the garden scene. Plant bulbs at depths of 2-4 times the diameter of the bulb, usually in the range of 10-15cm