Allium cernuum

Alliums are hands down our favorite bulbous plants - they also happen to be the largest genus of bulbous plants. Alliums are grown for food (onions), health (garlic), and ornament (think of the giant purple spring orbs). We find all alliums beautiful and can't resist growing as many varieties as we can get our hands on. Alliums grow happily on most soils and in many conditions, but most prefer a sunny spot on dry, lime-y soil.

A. cernuum, the nodding onion, is a North American native with glaucous grass-like foliage and clusters of nodding pink or purple flowers. Best used in the rock garden or for prairie restoration.

Zones: 4 to 9

Family: Alliaceae

Type: Perennial

Height: 12 to 18 in.

Spread: 4 to 6 in.

Exposure: Sun to Part Shade

Soil Conditions: Dry, well-drained, average

Bloom Time: July to August

Bloom Color: Pink, Salmon

Native Range: most of the US except FL, LA, OK, KS, ND, CA, NV

Image Credits:

Image 1 (bloom) ghislain118 http://www.fleurs-des-montagnes.net, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Image 2 (form) Fritzflohrreynolds, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons