Common Name: allium
Type: Bulb
Family: Amaryllidaceae
Native Range: Caucasus
Zone: 5 to 8
Height: 0.50 to 1.00 feet
Spread: 0.50 to 1.00 feet
Bloom Time: June to August
Bloom Description: Pale pink with purple midveins
Sun: Full sun
Water: Dry to medium
Maintenance: Low
Flower: Showy
Leaf: Fragrant
Attracts: Butterflies
Tolerate: Deer, Drought, Black Walnut
Culture
Grow in rich, sandy to gritty, dry to medium moisture, well-drained loams in full sun. Plants perform best with consistent moisture during the growing season, but tolerate some drought after flowering ends. Plants will occasionally self-seed in the garden.
Noteworthy Characteristics
Allium kunthianum is a compact, bulbous perennial that is native to alpine slopes and meadows in the Caucasus, NE Turkey and NW Iran. Basal green leaves appear in pairs. Flowering stems rise from the leaves to 6-10" tall in early summer. Each flowering stem is topped with a spherical flower head (umbel to 1 1/2" diameter) containing narrow, bell-shaped, pale pink flowers with purple midveins. Flowers bloom in early to mid summer.
Genus name comes from the classical Latin name for garlic.
Problems
No known serious insect or disease problems.
Uses
Low-growing ornamental onion for rock gardens, beds and border fronts. Best grown in groups or massed. May be difficult to locate in commerce.