The catalog/Species
Allium spp.
Genus-level entry. These cultivars are recorded under Allium with no species — typically inter-species hybrids or supplier listings without an extracted species name.
Cultivars
'Ambassador'
Allium
Allium 'Ambassador' is a towering ornamental onion that reaches up to 4 feet, featuring massive violet-purple flower globes measuring 6 to 8 inches across. Blooming from late spring into summer, it thrives in sunny, well-drained gardens, showing drought tolerance and strong resistance to deer and rabbits while attracting pollinators. Pairs well with perennials like irises and peonies. A superb cut flower, fresh or dried.
'Atropurpureum'
Allium
Allium atropurpureum reaches 24 to 39 inches tall, featuring 2 inch deep purple-red flower globes packed with star-shaped florets. Blooming from late spring into early summer, its rich color and compact form create a striking contrast in the garden. Thriving in full sun and well-drained soil, it is drought-tolerant, deer-resistant, and attracts pollinators. Its sturdy stems ensure lasting ornamental appeal. Ideal for borders and mixed plantings, it pairs beautifully with peonies, and irises.
'Azureum'
Allium
Allium azureum, also known as caeruleum, reaches 18 to 32 inches tall, featuring 1.5-inch round flax-blue flower globes that bloom from late spring into early summer. Thriving in full sun and well-drained soil, it is drought-tolerant, deer-resistant, and attracts pollinators. Its slender stems and airy blooms create a delicate yet striking presence in borders, rock gardens, and mixed plantings.
'Christophii'
Allium
Allium christophii, also known as Star of Persia, reaches 12 to 24 inches tall, featuring enormous 8 to 12 inch silvery-lavender flower globes packed with up to 100 star-shaped florets. Blooming in late spring, it thrives in full sun and well-drained soil, showing drought tolerance and strong resistance to deer while attracting pollinators. Its airy blooms create a striking presence in borders, rock gardens, and mixed plantings.
'Cowanii'
Allium
Allium cowanii reaches 16 to 24 inches tall, featuring 2 inch loose clusters of glistening white florets with ivory-green anthers. Blooming in late spring, it thrives in full sun and well-drained soil, showing drought tolerance and strong resistance to deer and rabbits while attracting pollinators. Its airy blooms create a delicate yet striking presence in borders, rock gardens, and mixed plantings.
'Gladiator'
Allium
Allium 'Gladiator' reaches 3 to 4 feet, showcasing 6-inch globe-shaped reddish-purple blooms from late spring to early summer. Thriving in full sun and well-drained soil, it is drought-tolerant, deer-resistant, and attracts pollinators. Its sturdy stems ensure lasting ornamental appeal. Ideal for borders, it pairs well with peonies and irises.
'Globemaster'
Allium
Allium 'Globemaster' reaches 28 to 36 inches tall, featuring enormous 8 to 10-inch violet flower globes that bloom from late spring into summer. Thriving in full sun and well-drained soil, it is drought-tolerant, deer-resistant, and attracts pollinators. Its sturdy stems ensure lasting ornamental appeal. Ideal for borders, it pairs well with peonies and irises. 'Globemaster' was developed from a cross between Allium macleanii and Allium christophii.
'Millenium'
Allium
Allium 'Millenium' is a compact, clump-forming perennial named the 2018 Perennial Plant of the Year. It produces globe-shaped rosy-purple flowers that bloom in mid to late summer, lasting for weeks. The flower clusters measure about 2 inches across and rise on sturdy stems, reaching 15 to 20 inches tall. Its deep green, grass-like foliage remains attractive throughout the season. Thriving in full sun, it prefers well-drained soil and is highly drought-tolerant once established. Resistant to deer and rabbits, it attracts pollinators and provides reliable seasonal color in USDA zones 4-9.
'Mixture'
Allium
Allium Giant Mix features a stunning blend of light purple, deep purple, and creamy white globe-shaped blooms, each measuring up to 5 inches across. Growing 28 to 40 inches tall, these alliums bloom from late spring into early summer, bridging the gap between spring bulbs and summer perennials. Thriving in full sun and well-drained soil, they are drought-tolerant, deer-resistant, and attract pollinators. Ideal for borders and mixed plantings, they pair beautifully with tulips, irises, and daylilies.
'Mount Everest'
Allium
Allium 'Mount Everest' reaches 3 to 4 feet tall, featuring striking 6-inch pure-white flower globes that bloom from late spring into summer. Thriving in full sun and well-drained soil, it is drought-tolerant, deer-resistant, and attracts pollinators. Its sturdy stems ensure lasting ornamental appeal. Ideal for borders and cottage gardens, it pairs well with peonies, irises, and delphiniums. 'Mount Everest' is a hybrid of Allium stipitatum and Allium hollandicum.
'Nectaroscordum'
Allium
Sometimes referred to as Allium bulgaricum, Nectaroscordum reaches 30 to 40 inches tall, featuring bell-shaped cream-colored flowers with maroon streaks and green-tinted bases. Blooming in late spring to early summer, its gracefully drooping florets later turn upright as they form decorative seed pods. Thriving in part shade to full sun and well-drained soil, it is drought-tolerant, deer-resistant, and attracts pollinators. Its twisted blue-gray foliage adds unique texture to borders and woodland plantings. Native to regions around the Mediterranean, it has been cultivated as both an ornamental and a culinary herb.
'Nigrum'
Allium
Allium nigrum, also known as black garlic or broad-leaved leek, reaches 18 to 24 inches tall, featuring 3 to 4 inch flat clusters of creamy-white to pale lilac star-shaped florets with green centers. Blooming in late spring to early summer, it thrives in full sun and well-drained soil, showing drought tolerance and strong resistance to deer while attracting pollinators. Native to the Middle East, it has naturalized in parts of the United States. Ideal for borders and mixed plantings, it pairs beautifully with peonies and irises.
'Pinball Wizard'
Allium
Allium 'Pinball Wizard' reaches 24 to 30 inches tall, featuring dense 6-inch globe-shaped flower heads packed with silvery-lavender florets. Blooming in late spring to early summer, it creates a bold focal point with its tightly clustered blooms. Thriving in full sun and well-drained soil, it is drought-tolerant, deer-resistant, and attracts pollinators. Ideal for borders and mixed plantings, it pairs beautifully with peonies, irises, and ornamental grasses. 'Pinball Wizard' was developed from a cross between Allium macleanii and Allium christophii, just like 'Globemaster'.
'Ping Pong'
Allium
Allium 'Ping Pong' reaches 20 to 24 inches tall, featuring 2 inch spherical flower heads that transition from soft pink to bright white as they mature. Blooming from late spring into early summer, its airy, textured blooms add movement and contrast to borders, rock gardens, and mixed plantings. Thriving in full sun and well-drained soil, it is drought-tolerant, deer-resistant, and attracts pollinators.
'Purple Rain'
Allium
Allium 'Purple Rain' reaches 34 to 38 inches tall, featuring 6 inch open, rounded clusters of rich pink-purple star-shaped florets. Blooming from late spring into early summer, its airy, sparkler-like blooms create a dramatic focal point. Thriving in full sun and well-drained soil, it is drought-tolerant, deer-resistant, and attracts pollinators. Awarded the RHS Award of Garden Merit, it naturalizes easily and returns year after year. Ideal for borders and mixed plantings, it pairs beautifully with peonies and irises.
'Purple Sensation'
Allium
Allium 'Purple Sensation' reaches 24 to 36 inches tall, featuring 4 to 5 inch vivid violet-purple flower globes that bloom from late spring into early summer. Thriving in full sun and well-drained soil, it is drought-tolerant, deer-resistant, and attracts pollinators. Awarded the RHS Award of Garden Merit, it naturalizes easily and returns year after year. Ideal for borders and mixed plantings, it pairs beautifully with peonies, irises, and delphiniums.
'Red Mohican'
Allium
Allium 'Red Mohican' reaches 3 to 4 feet tall, featuring drumstick-shaped wine-red flower heads tipped with tiny white florets. Blooming from late spring into early summer, its unique crested blooms create a striking focal point. Thriving in full sun and well-drained soil, it is drought-tolerant, deer-resistant, and attracts pollinators. Native to southern Europe, it naturalizes easily and returns year after year. Ideal for borders and mixed plantings, it pairs beautifully with ornamental grasses and late-spring perennials.
'Schubertii'
Allium
Allium schubertii, commonly known as tumbleweed onion, reaches 12 to 24 inches tall, featuring 9 to 12 inch spherical flower heads packed with loose, star-shaped rose-purple florets. Blooming in late spring to early summer, its dramatic, firework-like blooms create a striking focal point. As the seed heads dry, they detach and roll across the garden, dispersing seeds as they go—hence the name tumbleweed onion. Thriving in full sun and well-drained soil, it is drought-tolerant, deer-resistant, and attracts pollinators. Its strap-shaped blue-green foliage withers as the flowers emerge, allowing the blooms to take center stage. Ideal for borders, rock gardens, and mixed plantings.
'Silver Spring'
Allium
Allium ‘Silver Spring’ reaches 24 to 30 inches tall, producing elegant, rounded umbels of creamy‑white florets each marked with a deep rose‑purple eye that intensifies as the bloom matures. The flowers open in late spring to early summer, drawing bees and other pollinators while maintaining strong deer resistance and excellent drought tolerance once established. Thriving in full sun and well‑drained soil, this variety brings a refined, bicolor accent to mixed borders, gravel gardens, and late‑spring perennial plantings, where its airy structure adds both movement and contrast. Product of Israel.
'Sphaerocephalon'
Allium
Allium sphaerocephalon, commonly known as drumstick allium, reaches 24 to 36 inches tall, featuring 1 inch egg-shaped flower heads that transition from deep green to rich rose-purple as they mature. Blooming in early to mid-summer, it thrives in full sun and well-drained soil, showing drought tolerance and strong resistance to deer and rabbits while attracting pollinators. Its slender stems and compact blooms create a striking vertical accent in borders, rock gardens, and mixed plantings.
'Summer Beauty'
Allium
Allium 'Summer Beauty' is a hardy, clump-forming perennial with rounded clusters of soft lavender-pink flowers that bloom in mid to late summer. The flower clusters measure about 2 inches across and rise on sturdy stems, reaching 12 to 18 inches tall. Its strap-shaped, onion-scented foliage remains attractive throughout the season, adding texture to garden beds and containers. Thriving in full sun to part shade, it prefers well-drained soil and is highly drought-tolerant once established. Resistant to deer and rabbits, it attracts pollinators and provides reliable seasonal color in USDA zones 4-9.