Allium siculum

Allium siculum is an heirloom favorite that has been charming gardeners since the late 1800s. The informally nodding, bell-shaped buds dangle from wiry stems to form airy, umbel-shaped flower heads. The buds open in shades of pink, plum, and green. As seeds begin to form, the flowers assume a more upright position. If cut when in flower or seed, this vintage treasure adds an unusual and captivating silhouette to flower arrangements. Plants are also known as Allium bulgaricum, Nectaroscordum siculum ssp. bulgaricum, and Mediterranean Sicilian Honey Lily.

The genus Allium (the Latin means "garlic") offers colorful, distinctive, and long-lasting forms that are standouts in the early summer garden. Alliums are sun-lovers and prefer well-drained, even sandy, soil. Deer, mice, chipmunks, and related predators generally avoid this group, so you can plant with impunity. Tuck them among clumps of later summer-flowering perennials where the Alliums' withering foliage will be hidden by the expanding perennials.

For more information on the growing and care of Allium, click Growing Guide.