Allium sphaerocephalon (Drumstick Allium)

Allium sphaerocephalon or ‘Drumstick Allium’ is a lovely addition to the border, where it adds interest and movement with its dense egg-shaped flower heads atop straight and slender stems, delicately turning from green to purple as they mature. Blooming in late spring to early summer, this spectacular bulbous perennial adds dramatic color to the garden.

• Grows up to 20-24 in. high (50 – 60 cm). This Allium 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. Add grit when grown in clay soils to improve drainage. This Allium is drought tolerant.
• Stunning in beds and borders, city gardens, cottage gardens, coastal gardens, or containers. Spectacular in large sweeping drifts. Plant in groups (at least 20 to 25 bulbs) for the best visual impact.
• Excellent as cut flowers for both fresh and dried arrangements! Beloved by florists for its long vase life!
• Known for attracting bees, butterflies, ​moths, and other pollinators, but deer ignore it.
• No serious pest or disease issues. Keep an eye out for onion white rot and downy mildew.
• To be planted in the fall.
• Propagate by seed, sowing in containers in a cold frame when just ripe or in the spring. Alternatively, remove offsets in autumn.
• Allium sphaerocephalon is native throughout Europe to the Caucasus, Iran, and northern Africa.

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 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 perfect for a rock garden, and several lend themselves to naturalizing.