Allium roseum (Rosy Garlic)

Allium roseum (Rosy Garlic) is a beautiful sight with its elegant, exquisitely-scented clusters of pale to rich pink, star-shaped flowers forming umbels up to 3 in. wide (7 cm). The flowers are mounted on sturdy stems and rise above long and narrow green leaves. Blooming in late spring to early summer, this perennial bulb is long-lived in the garden, where it often forms bulbils to self-propagate.

• Growing up to 14-16 in. high (35-40 cm), this Allium naturalizes easily and will slowly spread to form lovely colonies!
• Easily grown in fertile, sandy to gritty, dry to medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun. Add grit when grown in clay soils to improve drainage.
• Known for attracting bees, butterflies, ​moths, and other pollinators, but deer ignore it.
• Stunning in beds, borders, rock gardens, cottage gardens, or in containers. For best visual impact, plant in groups (at least 20 bulbs).
• To be planted in fall.
• Generally pest and disease free. Keep an eye out for onion white rot and downy mildew.
• Propagate by seed, bulbils, or division of clumps in spring or autumn.
• Allium roseum is native to the Mediterranean region.

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.