Allium moly (Lily Leek)

Would you have ever thought that Alliums could display clusters of golden yellow flowers? Allium moly (Lily Leek) does, and it does it superbly and profusely! How not to resist these upright clusters of up to 30 starry golden florets? These blooms are also nicely complemented by gray-green leaves that remain attractive for a fairly long period of time. Blooming in late spring to early summer, this lovely bulbous perennial boasts long-lasting blooms and remains ornamental in the garden well into summer. It is edible and also used as a medicinal plant.

• Recipient of the prestigious Award of Garden Merit by the Royal Horticultural Society.
• Grows up to 10-12 in. tall (25-30 cm). Allium moly naturalizes easily and will come back year after year!
• Easily grown in rich, sandy to gritty, dry to medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun. This Allium is drought tolerant.
• Known for attracting bees, butterflies, ​moths, and other pollinators, but deer ignore it.
• Stunning in beds and borders, city gardens, cottage gardens, prairies, or containers. For best visual impact, plant in groups (at least 10 to 15 bulbs). Excellent as cut flowers for both fresh and dried arrangements.
• Mixes beautifully with other late spring flowering bulbs and creates stunning combinations with pink or white delphiniums, peonies, or irises.
• To be planted in fall.
• Keep an eye out for slugs and snails, leaf miner, allium rot, and powdery mildew.
• Propagate by seed, sowing in containers in a cold frame when just ripe or in the spring, and by division of clumps in spring.
• Allium moly is primarily found in Spain and Southern France with additional populations in Italy, Austria, the Czech Republic, Algeria, and Morocco.

Hundreds of Allium species exist, but only a few have made a name for themselves as garden plants. The ornamental onions distinguish themselves by their remarkable 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. Certain small species are just perfect for a rock garden, and several lend themselves to naturalizing. All species can be used in the border.