Allium Sightings
By: Julie Barns
We see them adding springtime bursts of garden color. Eye-catching globes packed with tiny, star-shaped flowers, hovering on leafless stems above a clump of strap-like leaves. Alliums or ornamental onions belong to the Amaryllidaceae Family, residing within the same botanical genus as chives, shallots, leeks, onions, and garlic. They are great deterrents to pesky wildlife marauders such as deer, rabbits, chipmunks, or squirrels, who are repulsed by the pungent oniony or garlic scent emitted when Allium leaves, stems, or bulbs are bruised or dug up. Yet, most Allium flowers are pleasantly fragrant making them a favorite to bees and other pollinators. Alliums come in an array of colors (purple, yellow, blue, pink, and white), heights, and flower shapes (golf ball, tennis ball, baseball, softball or diminutive bells) growing best in full sun in a well -drained area.
Allium 'Purple Sensation' has been calling attention to people passing by my springtime garden with golf ball size flowers every year. Bright green leaves first emerge in early spring that gradually turn brown as the plant begins to bloom. This unsightly foliage cannot be removed until the plant has completely died down. Also, flower heads are best removed before ripening to prevent the start of many new plants. These can be dried, or to add a little pizazz, even be spray painted and placed around the garden for a little summer color.
In David Councill Park, Allium Giganteums, or Giant Onions were planted about 5 years ago. Softball sized purple globes towered above 3–5-foot stems in springtime. Neighbors facing this property were struck by their magnificence. But now, their blooms have shrunk, just as it can with any Allium.
Primary Reasons for Shrinkage Include:
• Overcrowded Bulbs - Alliums produce "offsets" or baby bulbs, forming a dense clump over a 3–5-year period. Competition for space and nutrients can stunt growth and reduce flower size.
• Seed Production - Immense bulb energy can be expended if flowers are able to set seed.
• Early Foliage Removal - Vital food for flowering may not be stored when cut off too soon.
• Insufficient Sunlight - These sun-loving plants need at least 6-8 hours of sunlight per day.
• Loss of Soil Nutrients - Vast amounts of nutrients essential for yielding giant flower heads can become depleted from the soil over time.
At this year's plant sale Allium 'Millenium', an award-winning onion hybrid, was sold from dig-gum divisions. Unlike the spring blooming alliums just discussed, this one blooms in mid to late summer (July thru August) and does not aggressively self-seed. Conferred as 2018's perennial plant of the year, it is much shorter in stature (15 inches) and forms a compact mound with glossy, deep green foliage crowned with showy purple globes.
Here, I also acquired Allium Siculum (Honey Garlic) meant to charm me with nodding clusters of cream, green and maroon bells eventually.
