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:
1 - Ali McEnhill at the Old Dairy 
2- ghislain118 http://www.fleurs-des-montagnes.net, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
3 - Fritzflohrreynolds, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons