Plant These Whimsical Alliums This Fall for a Burst of Color Next Spring

If you’re looking for a carefree, whimsical plant, plant alliums, or ornamental onions. Yes, they’re in the same family as the onions in your kitchen—though they’re not edible. But they’re much prettier!

With their ball- and oval-shaped blooms, alliums are a fun addition to your garden. These underrated perennial flowers in shades of purple, pinkish-blue, and white bloom in mid-spring or summer to fall, depending on the variety.

Alliums add color, texture, and structure to the garden, and they’re deer- and rabbit-resistant—a big win in my garden that’s overrun with both critters. Alliums also are drought and heat tolerant once established. They’re fuss-free plants and hardy in USDA Zones 4 to 8 (find your zone here).

Alliums make long-lasting cut flowers, too, so they’re great additions to a cutting garden. I like planting alliums that bloom at various times throughout the season to keep my pollinators happy. Every time I look, each flower is covered in bees and butterflies. Alliums also have a long bloom time, staying in flower for weeks.

Alliums at a Glance

Common Name: Allium, ornamental onions
Botanical Name: Allium spp.
Plant Family: Amaryllidaceae
Type of Plant: Bulb
Native Origin: North America, Eurasia
Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade
Mature Size: 1 to 3 feet tall
Toxic to pets: Yes

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How to Grow Alliums

Alliums are hardy and forgiving of most soils, but they prefer well-draining types and will not tolerate staying soggy. Plant the bulbs in fall for blooms the following year, though many new varieties are hybrids that can be purchased year-round as potted plants that you can add to the garden anytime. Fall is an especially good time to plant.

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Light

Ornamental alliums like full sun, which is considered 6 or more hours of direct sunlight. Some types will tolerate a few hours of shade.

Water

Spring-blooming allium bulbs don’t need to be watered at planting time. They’ll typically get enough rain throughout the winter to bloom fine next spring. If you’re planting a potted allium, water it well at planting and for the next few weeks to help it get established if there’s no rain.

Fertilizer

Don’t add fertilizer to the planting hole because it could cause root burn. Instead, plant the bulbs and scatter a handful of general-purpose 5-10-5 or 4-10-6 granular organic fertilizer over the surface of the bed.

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Common Problems with Alliums

Alliums have few pest issues. The biggest risk is planting them in an area that’s too soggy, which causes them to rot, or doesn’t get enough sunlight so that they don’t bloom well.

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Are Alliums Toxic to Dogs and Cats?

Yes. All members of the allium family (including the onions in your kitchen) are toxic to dogs and cats if eaten, potentially causing gastrointestinal upset and red blood cell damage. If you suspect your pet has ingested any part of this plant, even if you’re not sure, contact your veterinarian or a pet poison-control service ASAP. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.

This warning doesn’t necessarily mean you need to eliminate every potentially toxic plant from your garden. Many familiar plants can cause problems if eaten. The important thing is to know what you’re growing, consider your pet’s habits before planting, and keep pets away from plants they’re likely to chew. If your dog or cat is a persistent plant-eater, you may prefer nontoxic alternatives.

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Types of Ornamental Alliums

• ‘Serendipity’ has large, round purple summer flowers atop bluish-green foliage.
• ‘Bobblehead’ has fragrant, round pale-lilac flowers that bloom in summer.
• ‘Bubble Bath’ has smaller lavender flower clusters that bloom late summer to early fall.
• ‘Gladiator’ has impressive 6-inch globe-shaped flowers that tower above other flowers in the late-spring garden.
• ‘Drumstick’ has oval 1-inch purple-red blooms that appear in late spring to early summer.
• ‘Schubertii’ has cute fireworks-like flowers (pictured at the top of this article) that are 12 inches wide in late spring.

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