Allium flavum                           Family: Liliaceae
(AL-ee-um  FLAH-vum)

Common name: ornamental onion; small yellow onion
Zone: 5 – 8
Height: 10 – 12 in (25 – 30cm) 
Spread: 4 in (10 cm)
Aspect: full sun; partial shade
Soil: fertile; well-draining
Water: moderate

Description:  A bulbous herbaceous perennial which produces an umbel of lemon-yellow, bell-shaped flowers in late spring through early summer. Narrow, strap-like, blue-green leaves will wither as the flowers mature.

Special Notes: An heirloom dating back to the late 1750s. Native to region surrounding the Mediterranean, Black and Caspian Seas; France, Morocco to Iran, Kazakhstan. A relative to culinary onions and garlic. Good for containers and rockeries. Plant bulbs 3 – 4 times their own depth in autumn. Naturalizes to create a pleasing display. Attracts bees. Can fall prey to the same diseases which afflict onions and garlic. Deer resistant.

Awards: Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit (AGM) in 1993.

 

Posted on February 17, 2021; updated on August 6, 2024