Allium

The genus Allium L. contains approximately 750 species and has been classified as belonging to Alliaceae and Liliaceae, but is currently placed in Amaryllidaceae, subfamily Allioideae. The genus is perhaps best known from the handful of species that make up the edible food crops we're all familiar with, e.g. onions (Allium cepa), leeks (Allium ampeloprasum), garlic (Allium sativum), scallion (Allium fistulosum relative), and chives (Allium schoenoprasum); but many more species are known for their ornamental value and are thus dubbed the "ornamental onions". Alliums are hardy perennials, having true bulbs, or less-developed vestigial bulbs attached to rhizomes, the latter known as rhizomatous onions. Many species require a winter dormancy and chill whereas other species such as those occurring in a Mediterranean climate require a dry summer dormancy. The center of Allium diversity is in the Mediterranean/Middle East region, eastern Asia and North America. In North America, the center of diversity lies in western Texas and the California Floristic Province. There are about a hundred species and varieties that occur in North America.

A 2013 paper (a pdf file of 244 pages) entitled A Taxonomic Review of Allium subg. Melanocrommyum in Iran by Reinhard M. Fritsch and Mehrdad Abbasi presents detailed descriptions of 76 species and subspecies (10 newly described in this paper) plus 7 taxa too incompletely known to judge about their taxonomic state.

Allium was the subject of the Pacific Bulb Society's topic of the week in March 2003. Click on Introduction to read Mark McDonough's introduction and on Follow-ups from Mark to read some of his other contributions that week. One useful book for this genus is Davies, 1992 described in References.

Some species become formidable weeds. Some of these species produce bulbils instead of flowers, or may produce numerous stem bulbils below ground; others may just naturalize in disturbed areas in climates similar to their own. Alliums that tend to have these behaviors include Allium canadense, Allium paradoxum, Allium roseum, Allium scorodoprasum, Allium triquetrum and Allium vineale. Cut off flower heads before bulbils fall away. Careful digging and removal of all bulbs and bulbils is the primary control method. Landfill or burn this plant material, do not compost it.

Allium "Garden View" 1 - In July the allium garden is at its peak with numerous flowering species. In this view there's a drift of rosy-purple Allium cernuum in the background, an upright clump of Allium plummerae with white flowers just starting to open, and in the foreground on the left, various forms of Allium flavum ssp. tauricum in pink and tan colors, with the drooping buds of Allium stellatum on the right (which are weeks away from bloom in late August). Allium "Garden View 2" - In mid July, among the searing heat in the upper 90's Fahrenheit (36 Celsius), the allium garden is a simmering landscape of pastel flower sprays and color bobs wavering in the hot breeze. The next photo shows bulb profiles - a view of four uprooted allium species with the soil washed off. From left to right the species are: Allium przewalskianum (an Asian species; notice the orange bulb coats), Allium heldreichii (a hardy species from Greece), Allium amplectens (pink form of this western American onion), and Allium schoenoprasum 'Snowcap' on the right, a dwarf white-flowered chive. Photos by Mark McDonough. The final photo by David Pilling shows the characteristic flower of Alliums, with six stamens, six petals and a single style in the middle of a three celled ovary.

Information can be found by clicking on one of the wiki pages listed below or by clicking on one of the names in the table.

All alliums (one page!) - All alliums (15 Spec/page) - Allium flavum Relatives - American alliums a-f - American alliums g-z - Big Ball alliums - Blue alliums - Chives - Domed alliums - Drumstick alliums - Rhizomatous alliums

Species of Allium can be found in this table. To see hybrids and selections see the table at the bottom of the page.

Jump to: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P R S T U V W X Y Z

Allium Species
Allium abramsii	Allium acuminatum	Allium acutiflorum	*Allium albidum	Allium alexeianum	altyncolicum
Allium amethystinum	Allium ampeloprasum	Allium amphibolum	Allium amplectens	Allium angulosum	Allium ascalonicum
Allium atropurpureum	Allium atroviolaceum	Allium backhousianum	Allium barsczeweskii	Allium basalticum	Allium beesianum
Allium bolanderi	*Allium bulgaricum	Allium caeruleum	Allium caesium	Allium callimischon	Allium campanulatum
Allium canadense	Allium cardiostemon	Allium carinatum	Allium carmeli	Allium carolinianum	Allium cepa
Allium cernuum	Allium chamaemoly	Allium commutatum	Allium convallarioides	Allium cratericola	Allium crenulatum
Allium crispum	Allium cristophii	Allium cyaneum	Allium cyathophorum	Allium daninianum	Allium darwasicum
Allium decipiens	Allium denudatum	Allium desertorum	Allium diabolense	Allium dichlamydeum	Allium dictyoprasum
Allium douglasii	Allium ericetorum	Allium eulae	Allium falcifolium	Allium fimbriatum	Allium flavum
Allium geyeri	Allium glandulosum	Allium gooddingii	Allium griffithianum	Allium guttatum	Allium haematochiton
Allium heldreichii	Allium hermoneum	Allium hickmanii	Allium hollandicum	Allium hookeri	Allium howellii
Allium hyalinum	Allium hymenorrhizum	Allium incensiodorum	Allium insubricum	Allium jacquemontii	Allium jepsonii
Allium jesdianum	Allium karataviense	Allium kharputense	Allium kollmannianum	Allium komarowii	Allium kunthianum
Allium kurssanovii	Allium lacunosum	Allium lemmonii	Allium lenkoranicum	Allium lineare	Allium lipskyanum
Allium litvinovii	Allium macranthum	Allium mannii	Allium maximowiczii	Allium membranaceum	Allium meronense
Allium meteoricum	Allium moly	Allium moschatum	Allium myrianthum	Allium neapolitanum	Allium nevskianum
Allium nigrum	Allium nutans	Allium obliquum	Allium obtusiflorum	Allium obtusum	Allium oreophilum
Allium paniculatum	Allium paradoxum	Allium parryi	Allium parvum	Allium peninsulare	Allium perdulce
Allium platycaule	Allium plummerae	Allium praecox	Allium przewalskianum	Allium psebaicum	Allium pskemense
Allium pumilum	Allium pyrenaicum	Allium ramosum	Allium regelianum	Allium regelii	Allium robustum
Allium roseum	Allium rothii	Allium rotundum	Allium rubens	Allium sanbornii	Allium sativum
Allium saxatile	Allium schmitzii	Allium schoenoprasum	Allium schubertii	Allium scorodoprasum	Allium scorzonerifolium
Allium senescens	Allium serra	Allium sharsmithiae	Allium shevockii	Allium sibthorpianum	Allium siculum
Allium sieheanum	Allium sikkimense	Allium sindjarense	Allium sp. (Chiapas)	Allium sphaerocephalon	Allium staticiforme
Allium stellatum	Allium subhirsutum	Allium subvillosum	Allium suworowii	Allium tardiflorum	Allium tauricola
Allium texanum	Allium thunbergii	Allium toghasii	Allium tolmiei	Allium trachyscordum	Allium trifoliatum
Allium tripedale	Allium triquetrum	Allium tuberosum	Allium tuvinicum	Allium unifolium	Allium ursinum
Allium victorialis	Allium vineale	Allium wallichii	Allium winklerianum	Allium woronowii	Allium zebdanense

Allium Hybrids and Selections
Allium 'Back to School'	Allium cernuum x ?	Allium cernuum x rubens	Allium 'Gladiator'
Allium 'Globemaster'	Allium 'Globus'	Allium 'Lucy Ball'	Allium 'Millenium'
Allium 'Mount Everest'	Allium nutans x stellatum	Allium 'Powder Puff'	Allium stellatum x nutans
Allium stellatum x senescens	Allium 'Sugar Melt'

For more information on the huge and varied genus Allium, please visit Mark McDonough's archived website

All alliums (one page!) - All alliums (15 Spec/page) - Allium flavum Relatives - American alliums a-f - American alliums g-z - Big Ball alliums - Blue alliums - Chives - Domed alliums - Drumstick alliums - Rhizomatous alliums