Allium thunbergii

The genus

Allium is a large genus (about 800 species) widely used in gardens (and as vegetable of course). Most species have rigid stems and are well suited for cut flowers. An esthetic problem with alliums is that their leaves look rather tatty at the time of flowering, so make sure of a sufficient ground cover at that time. Beware that several Allium species can become very invasive when grown in their natural environment. There are 3 distinct sections: 1.The " Mediterraneans " have a very long wintergrowing period and start growing in September. They are best planted in the summer. Examples are A. flavum, A. cowanii, A. riquetrum, etc. 2 Those of mountainous or continental origin need a cold period and start growing in the winter and are naturally resistant to heavy frosts. Examples are A. giganteum, A. nigrum, A. unifolium. 3 The "leek" type species such as A. tuberosum, A. senescens, A. schoenoprasum or A. cernuum have a very long growing period extending often well into the summer and can be planted during the winter.