Allium is a genus in the Amaryllidaceae family of flowering plants who are almost all native to temperate zones in the Northern Hemisphere. The flowers are monocots whose blooms form an umbel at the top of bare stalks.
Common culinary alliums includes onions and all of their close relatives including:
In fact, the name Allium is Latin for garlic.
But the term of allium also commonly refers to ornamentals grown for their flowers.
Some of the most popular ornamental cultivars include:
Some varieties, such as chives, can be grown both for their use as herbs and flavorings as well as their beauty.
Beneficial to bees and other pollinators, these showy blooms are also resistant to deer, rabbits, and other herbivores due to their garlic-like scent and flavor.
Read our growing, cultivation, and propagation guides down below and grow your own ornamental alliums:
Some alliums like garlic, chives, and ornamental flower types can become unruly in the garden, rapidly spreading where we don’t want them. These plants reproduce by seeds, bulbils, and roots, and they can quickly take over an area if left unchecked. Learn how to control allium spread in this guide. Read more now.
Golden garlic (lily leek) is a stunning ornamental bulb with vibrant yellow, star-shaped blooms that rise above clumps of blue-green foliage. This low-maintenance perennial thrives in sunny spots and naturalizes beautifully in borders, rock gardens, and woodland edges. Learn how to plant and grow Allium moly in this guide.
Prairie onion is an ornamental native perennial with pretty, pink-toned, star-shaped flowers, and edible leaves and bulbs. Suitable for a variety of landscaping uses, including rock gardens, Allium stellatum is drought-tolerant, and thrives in a variety of soil types. Learn how to grow prairie onion in this guide.
Nodding onion aka lady’s leek (Allium cernuum) is a pretty native wildflower with pendant, purple flowers that bloom in midsummer. This species is tough, tolerant of a variety of soils, cold-hardy, and generally maintenance free, ideal for rock gardens and meadows. Learn how to grow nodding onions in this guide. Read more.
Drumstick alliums are remarkable plants with distinctive drumstick-shaped blossoms that turn from green to dark maroon in the summer. They add an architectural element to the ornamental garden without all the fussiness and maintenance required by some other flowers. If you’re ready to add them to your garden, read on!
Ornamental alliums are versatile plants that add an architectural element to the garden. They’re also incredibly varied, with blossoms that may look like little yellow starbursts or others with purple softball-sized flower heads. Plus, they don’t require much maintenance. If you like the sound of this, then read on!
One of the easiest edible plants you can grow, wild garlic chives are also one of the most useful. They add a light garlic flavor to fresh and cooked recipes, are simple to preserve, and have edible blooms that attract pollinators. We share the best ways to grow this herb out in the garden, in a container, or indoors.
Do you think you’ve found chives growing in the wild? Are you wondering if you can eat them? If you need help identifying and figuring out what to do with Allium schoenoprasum, look no further than this guide. We’ll show you how to identify wild chives and how to safely enjoy them in your cooking. Read more now.
Allium leaf miners are devastating pests of garlic, onions, shallots, chives, and leeks – and can destroy an entire crop. These invasive pests are spreading rapidly throughout the mid-Atlantic and northeastern regions of the US. Learn how to identify, prevent, and control allium leaf miners in this guide. Read more now.