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rouge21_gw

Allium Christophii is hard to find in person?

I do love alliums but I was late in discovering "Christophii".

I did put in an on-line order back in August and it seems lucky I did as I can find no sign of this allium at any nursery I have visited. Has it been your experience that "Christophii" is a bit hard to find at a 'brick and mortar' store?

Comments (8)

  • pitimpinai
    9 years ago

    I don't think I have ever seen it in any store anywhere.
    I get it from Van Engelen. It is the same as Allium albopilosum.

    I have been growing this Allium for at least 20 years. Love it. Love it. Love it. I leave the flowerheads alone until the wind blows them away in late fall or winter.

    I tried to winter sow the seeds without success, but they have reseeded in recent years. So this year I had a bumper crop of Allium cristophii.

  • pitimpinai
    9 years ago

    I forgot that you live in Canada. Can you order from Van Engelen?

  • rouge21_gw (CDN Z5b/6a)
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thanks for the posts pitimpinai.

    Just today I found a nursery that does stock it.

    (Plus I do have 20 coming from an on-line source from an order I placed back in early August...hopefully coming in before the end of the month).

    I saw it for the first time this past early summer, when they were past their prime and I was still so impressed.

    I have several other alliums but they are mostly the very tall varieties. I liked the fact that "Christophii" was significantly shorter.

    pitimpinai, can you tell me a bit more about it....how tall does it get for you? I take it that it does reseed in the garden (I have not found that with any of my other alliums).

  • pitimpinai
    9 years ago

    Hi rouge21,

    I am glad you found suppliers for this allium. You will love it as I do.

    This allium grows 1 - 1 1/2 ft. tall with a flowerhead up to 9 - 10" in diameter depending on the spacing. It is smaller if planted too close.

    It is not as stately has taller alliums but its coloring is stunning and looks great with any other plants in the garden. The combination that bowled me over was with Lamb's ear that I saw in a Rosemary Very's book. I plant mine as close to the sidewalk as possible so I can see them upclose.

    This post was edited by pitimpinai on Wed, Sep 17, 14 at 16:36

  • Embothrium
    9 years ago

    I don't think garden centers here have the full line of fall bulbs in yet.

  • Embothrium
    9 years ago

    Or maybe they do, yesterday I saw what may have been all they are going to get at one big independent place here.

    Including the allium you want. The supplier was Van Bloem's.

  • rouge21_gw (CDN Z5b/6a)
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Of course this is very subjective but anyways...which flower do you prefer between "christophii" and "schubertii"?

    This post was edited by rouge21 on Wed, Oct 1, 14 at 14:34

  • pitimpinai
    9 years ago

    I like them both, but my schubertii bloomed only once and never came back. Therefore, it's christophhii for me since I don't like to keep spending money on something that does not have a long lifespan.

    I think schubertii would look good if it's given center stage. Since my garden is stuffed without any inch to spare, schubertii did not stand out like christohphii.

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