This ornamental onion is a herbaceous perennial bulb in the onion family (Amaryllidaceae) native to Asia and is found in forests and natural areas. Plant the bulbs in fall for spring blooms in well-drained soils in full sun to partial shade. Plant 5 inches deep and 6-12 inches apart. Bulbs will make bulblets and can be divided as needed. They can also seed but won't bloom until the 3rd year. The plant is drought tolerant after flowering is completed. In May to June, a 10-12 inch tall stem grows from each pair of leaves with a 3-6 inch cluster of mildly fragrant light pink star-shaped flowers. The basal leaves are up to 9 inches long and 3 inches wide in pairs and often are mottled with purple. The leaves and bulbs have an onion aroma when bruised. Received the Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society. Use in a rock garden, woodland garden, mass planted or in borders. Flowers can be dried for arrangements. Resistant to deer and rabbits. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Bulb mites can occur. Bulb rot in too wet soils VIDEO Created by Elisabeth Meyer for "Edibles, Bulbs, and Houseplants," a plant identification course developed in partnership with Longwood Gardens. More information on Allium .
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Sand; Shallow Rocky
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist | Occasionally Dry
Available space
Less than 12 inches
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Growth rate
Medium
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect
Texture
Medium
Leaf color
Green; Purple/Lavender
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Rosulate
Leaf shape
Linear
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf value
Fragrant; Showy
Leaf size
> 6 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Leaves are flat and 6-9 inches long and 2-3 inches wide. Often mottled with purple.
Flower color
Pink; Purple/Lavender
Flower value
Fragrant; Good Dried
Flower form
Umbel
Flower shape
Star
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Flowers can be lilac to pink in color. Flowers are small, 6-parted, and in a cluster at the top of a naked stem. . Flowers in May to June and lasts 2-3 weeks.
Bloom time
Spring
Fruit type
Capsule
Stem color
Green
Stem detail
10-12 inch stout green stem
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
Central Asia
Food & Medicine
Edible parts
Leaves; Flowers
Fruit type
Capsule
Edibility
EDIBLE PARTS: Leaves, bulbs, and bulblets. Flowers have a mildly bitter flavor and like young leaves can be eaten in small quantities raw in salads and sandwiches or cooked in tea and soups. However, the plant also has poisonous characteristics as noted in the "Poisonous to Humans" section of this record. Toxicity can depend on the age of the person or animal, the age of the plant, the part of the plant ingested, how much is ingested, whether the person or animal has sensitivities or allergies, whether it's eaten raw or cooked, and so forth. Consult with a medical professional for further details.