Lakeshore Garden Centres Plant Finder

Other Names:  Fat Leaf Allium, Flowering Onion

Description:

An edible ornamental with a sweet garlicky flavor; sets white globe flowers within first year, then by the second year, sets in both spring and fall; nectar rich and very attractive to bees and other pollinators; an excellent border plant and cut flower

Ornamental Features

Autumn Bee Attraction Ornamental Onion features bold balls of fragrant white flowers at the ends of the stems from mid spring to early fall. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its grassy leaves remain bluish-green in colour throughout the season.

This plant is primarily grown as an ornamental, but it's also valued for its edible qualities. The sweet leaves are most often used in the following ways:

• Fresh Eating
• Cooking

Landscape Attributes

Autumn Bee Attraction Ornamental Onion is an open herbaceous perennial herb with tall flower stalks held atop a low mound of foliage. Its medium texture blends into the garden, but can always be balanced by a couple of finer or coarser plants for an effective composition.

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 bees and 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.

Autumn Bee Attraction Ornamental Onion is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• Rock/Alpine Gardens
• Border Edging
• General Garden Use
• Naturalizing And Woodland Gardens
• Herb Gardens
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Autumn Bee Attraction Ornamental Onion will grow to be about 18 inches tall at maturity extending to 30 inches tall with the flowers, with a spread of 10 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 does best in full sun to partial shade. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate 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 multiplication of the underground bulbs; however, as a cultivated variety, be aware that it may be subject to certain restrictions or prohibitions on propagation.

Autumn Bee Attraction Ornamental Onion is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. With its upright habit of growth, it is best suited for use as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden. Be aware that in our climate, most plants cannot be expected to survive the winter if left in containers outdoors, and this plant is no exception. Contact our experts for more information on how to protect it over the winter months.