Other Names:  Flowering Onion, Summer Beauty Ornamental Chives

Description:

Large, silvery-pink rounded blooms rise above wide, gray-green foliage; drought tolerant once established; a lovely specimen massed together, or added to landscapes for height; attracts pollinators; low maintenance and easy to grow

Ornamental Features

Big Beauty Allium features bold balls of lightly-scented shell pink flowers with silver overtones at the ends of the stems from early to late summer. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its fragrant sword-like leaves remain grayish green in color throughout the season.

Landscape Attributes

Big Beauty Allium is an open herbaceous perennial with tall flower stalks held atop a low mound of foliage. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other garden plants with less refined foliage.

This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and should only be pruned after flowering to avoid removing any of the current season's flowers. It is a good choice for attracting butterflies to your yard, but is not particularly attractive to deer who tend to leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Big Beauty Allium is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• Rock/Alpine Gardens
• Border Edging
• General Garden Use
• Groundcover
• Herb Gardens

Planting & Growing

Big Beauty Allium will grow to be about 18 inches tall at maturity extending to 24 inches tall with the flowers, with a spread of 24 inches. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 5 years. As an herbaceous perennial, this plant will usually die back to the crown each winter, and will regrow from the base each spring. Be careful not to disturb the crown in late winter when it may not be readily seen!

This plant should only be grown in full sunlight. It is very adaptable to both dry and moist growing conditions, but will not tolerate any standing water. This plant does not require much in the way of fertilizing once established. It is not particular as to soil type or pH, and is able to handle environmental salt. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid. It can be propagated by division; however, as a cultivated variety, be aware that it may be subject to certain restrictions or prohibitions on propagation.