Plants in the onion family produce pretty flowers. From edible chives and garlic to blooming alliums, enjoy the benefits of onion flowers.
On our Facebook page, we featured a “mystery photo” of a flower bloom head and asked readers to identify it. The photo was a bloom from fellow Birds & Blooms‘ contributor Noelle Johnson’s not-so-successful onions. The onions might not have turned out the way Noelle hoped, but there’s no doubt the blooms from onions, which are members of the Allium family, are downright gorgeous. Many other species in the onion family are grown just to enjoy the lovely flowers.
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Flowers in the Onion Family
Plants in the genus Allium usually grow from bulbs. Some species have been cultivated over the centuries for their edible properties, giving us onions (Allium cepa), chives (Allium schoenoprasum), and garlic (Allium sativum).
Others, such as Allium gigantea, have been prized and grown specifically for their beautiful blooms. Either way, the flower heads are umbels, made up of a globe of short-stalked small tiny blooms. They come in a variety of colors, and create a striking show in the garden.
When to Plant Ornamental Onion Flowers
Allium and garlic bulbs are best planted in the fall for spring or summer blooms, and can be grown in almost any garden.
Types of Onion Flowers to Grow
Flower heads and stalk heights range widely, from varieties like ‘Graceful’ which grow 12 to 16 inches with 2-inch bloom heads, to those like ‘Globemaster’ which grow to almost 4 feet and have blooms the size of your head.
Onion Flower Care and Growing Tips
They like well-draining soil and full to part sun, and are considered very deer-resistant. Most are very attractive to butterflies and other pollinators.
For those trying to grow big onion bulbs for harvest, the sight of an onion flower is a disappointment. Once an onion puts up a flower stalk, the bulb usually ceases to grow, even if the flower stalk is removed. This is generally triggered by cool temperatures at the wrong point in the growing season. Learn more about growing onions for harvest instead of flowers.
