Hey Neil

I don't have much experience with alliums but do know they're bulbs that bloom in spring. I planted a few in my own & my neighbor's flowerbeds a couple of years ago.

Liked their flower heads but not the ugly foliage. Foliage turned brown long before the flowers bloomed so it wasn't a pretty show IMHO. I'm all for adding color, form & texture but I want things that provide all three simultaneously without the drawback of ugly foliage.

I grabbed this Allium . I do not remember the name. Anybody have an idea? Its blooming now. I purchased mine in a pot. I think I will divide it this fall. It does not spread at all.

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crunchpa - the photo posted above does not appear to display an allium, at least not any allium I've ever seen. Alliums generally have large, round flower heads slightly larger than a baseball but smaller than a basketball, closer in size to a bowling ball. Can you post a close-up pic of the flower?

If you Google allium & select images you'll get a clearer picture of what I'm talking about.

crunchpa, is your plant Allium senescens perhaps? I received some in a trade this year and did research on it before the trade. I remember the pictures of it looking a lot like your plant.

Linda

allium summer beauty will be a plant when you get it. They don't really form serious bulbs like a lot of the other alliums do, if you've ever grown chives it's closer to that in that it dies down in the fall to a rooty clump and then resprouts in the spring.
Gardenweed- the allium in the picture is the low clump near the bottom right with the ball shaped pinkish flower clusters. Try googling 'allium summer beauty' and you'll expand your allium experience, there are so many other worthwhile kinds out there, don't limit yourself to the purple and white late spring ones!

This is the best I can do right now
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Yup, that picture doesn't look like an allium.

I took many pictures of allium at Three Oaks Road Recreation Center. I'll try to post it later. The founded flower really aren't that big. I think it's only 2 inch in diameter.

When I first saw it, I told myself, wow, chives blooming in summer. I need to have it in my garden. :) Then I learned from Goebberts that it was an allium.

So looks like I really have to wait next kato. :(

I find Allium tanguticum 'Summer Beauty' listed with perennials as opposed to bulbs. It is rhizomatous and the flowers are sterile, so it spreads slowly into a clump. The flowers are summer blooming and the foliage is supposed to be ornamental from when it first sprouts in the spring until frost.

I do have what I think is a similar allium, but I don't have a name for it since it was a hand-along plant. I find it trouble-free and worthwhile growing.

Thanks kato_b. I've only ever seen/noticed/paid attention to the globe alliums so wasn't aware there were others out there.

Sorry... they look like garlic chives to me so I'm not motivated to add them to my garden. Since my garden is looking pretty much the way I wanted it to look when I designed it, I'm not motivated to add too much in the way of new things.

I name all my garden beds and the largest is named La Musardiere...a place to be idle. Works for me at this stage of my life.

Just as a reminder allium is just a fancy name for onion. All the onions, globe alliums, chives, garlic, leeks are in the same family and have similar looking blooms.
Here's a little one I started from seed last year, blooming this summer. Not the showiest thing, but it keeps things interesting.... and it is just a seedling, so don't be too hard on it.

The leaves from your picture is different from the one I saw. Give me a few and I will post the pictures. The leaves are similar to daffodils but thinner.

The allium crunchpa is referring to in his photo is in the lower right corner.

There are 2 cultivars of Allium tanguticum I'm aware of and have them both: 'Summer Beauty' and 'Blue Skies'. 'Blue Skies' is slightly paler than 'Summer Beauty'.

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I haven't seen these listed in many catalogs so consider yourself lucky you've found one. IMO these are some of the best perennials for late summer flowering. I've had mine for years and love them.

They bloom for weeks and bees and butterflies love them. And no, they aren't a bulb like the big spring blooming ones. They grow more like bunches of spring onions. You can divide them early in the spring or late summer once your clumps grow larger.

Kevin

Kevin,

Beautiful picture. I totally agree, bees love them. Is it ok to buy them now or just wait in spring?

Thanks!

Neil

Neil

Thanks.

These are tough plants. It wouldn't hurt to buy them now and plant them. That way you would have even larger plants next spring.

Kevin

Thanks for that info. I love it. Its a different look and low care. You have to find a way to get some different forms in the perennial border and this works for me. Very fresh looking foliage and pest free.

How deep do you plant Allium Angulosum "Summer Beauty"?

Just thought I'd mention that Allium senescens I mentioned above is blooming right now. Not as many lavender flowers in my small clump as in Crunchpas picture above - the small plant in the right hand corner- but cute all the same.

Linda