Allium amethystinum ‘Red Mohican’ (Ornamental Onion)

A flamboyant Allium variety, Allium amethystinum ‘Red Mohican’ (Ornamental Onion) is a bulbous perennial boasting drumstick-like flower heads packed with wine-red florets and crested tufts of tiny buds open to white florets. Blooming in late spring to early summer, the unusual blossoms are borne atop tall, sturdy stems above the foliage of strap-shaped green leaves. Rich in nectar, the flowers attract bees, butterflies, and other pollinating insects. They make excellent cut flowers too. This spectacular Allium enjoys long-lasting blooms, and its seed heads are ornamental, persisting for weeks after the flower has passed.

• Growing up to 3-4 ft. tall (90-120 cm), this beauty naturalizes easily and will come back year after year!
• Easily grown in fertile, well-drained soils in full sun. Add grit when grown in clay soils to improve drainage. This Allium is drought tolerant.
• Stunning in beds and borders, city gardens, or cottage gardens. Spectacular in large sweeping drifts. For best visual impact, plant in groups (at least 10 to 15 bulbs). Excellent as cut flowers for both fresh and dried arrangements.
• Known for attracting butterflies, and other pollinators, but deer ignore it.
• To be planted in fall.
• No serious pest or disease issues. Keep an eye out for onion white rot, and downy mildew.
• Propagate using offsets in autumn.
• Allium amethystinum is native to Italy, Greece, Turkey, Sicily, Crete, Malta, Albania, Bulgaria, and the former Yugoslavia.

Many hundreds of Allium species exist, but only a modest few have made a name for themselves as garden plants. The ornamental onions distinguish themselves by their great diversity in color, inflorescence, and flowering height. Many species bloom in early summer – just after the spring-flowering period and just before the exuberant full bloom of summer. All species can be used in the border. Certain small species are just perfect for a rock garden, and several lend themselves to naturalizing.