Most allium varieties bloom from May or June and have already faded again in July. However, there are some varieties that bloom later. By cleverly combining different varieties of ornamental garlic in the garden, the purple flower balls can have a long blooming period.
Which allium varieties bloom late in the year?
Late-blooming Allium varieties that only show their purple spherical flowers in July and August are Allium “Summer Drummer”, Allium sphaerocephalon, Allium cesium and Allium nutans. A combination of different Allium varieties ensures a long flowering period in the garden.
Which Allium varieties are late-blooming?
Some varieties of ornamental garlic have a significantly later flowering period than others and bloom until mid-summer. For example, flowers bloom in July and August:
- Allium “Summer Drummer” is the latest flowering allium variety, it blooms until late August.
- Allium sphaerocephalon shows its egg-shaped flowers from June to August.
- Allium caesium brings color variety to the garden because it blooms blue-gray.
- Allium nuntas blooms white or pink, sometimes even into September.
What affects the flowering time of Allium?
In addition to the variety, theweather also has a big influence on when your allium blooms in the garden. If the winter is very mild or the spring is already very warm, alliums may sprout earlier and therefore bloom earlier. Even if alliums are overwintered in a location that is too warm, the flowering period will be postponed. However, if spring occurs relatively late in the year, this also pushes the flowering time back a bit and the allium blooms longer than usual.
Tip
Maximize allium flowering time
If you want the ornamental garlic to bloom for as long as possible in your garden, you should specifically combine different varieties. For example, if you plant both early-blooming Allium Gladiator and late-blooming Allium “Summer Drummer,” with good care you can enjoy the purple spherical flowers from May to August.
