Lauw de Jager <dejager@bulbargence.com> wrote: >Mark, >Just has a look at your interesting "Allium gallery" >No mention of Allium thunbergii? This species seems to do very well during >mediterranean summer, in spite drought and high temperatures. Can you tell >us a bit more about this one please Hi Lauw, Allium thunbergii is not mentioned, because it is a true fall bloomer, and what I put together was a summer Allium gallery. If I have time, I'll put together an autumn Allium gallery as well. Close to where I have a number of small Chinese Alliums planted, is a large patch of Allium thunbergii 'Ozawa' under a Magnolia, growing in a circular raised mound. The soil is sandy but humus-enriched, and the high open shade is appreciated by this allium. Right now the many dozens of clumps are covered in buds, but then again, the buds have been evident for nearly two months, and they progress at a tortoise pace. I just checked my photos from last year, and see that peak bloom was on about October 24th! As to nomenclature, I think this group is very mixed up. I'm leaning towards the possibility, that what popularly goes around as A. thunbergii 'Ozawa', might actually be a form of the rather similar Allium chinense. But you are right, these are tough, resilient plants, and look great even with heat or variable amounts of moisture or dryness. Even my wife commented the other day on my mass planting of Allium thunbergii 'Ozawa' (and she almost never comments on such things voluntarily) "oh, all those grassy alliums under the Magnolia tree are so pretty, what are they?". Mark McDonough Massachusetts, near the New Hampshire border, USDA Zone 5 antennaria@charter.net