Allium 2014

[Jackie C]

Thanks Mark, amazing knowledge.

[TheOnionMan]

Allium ramosum in flower now, sweetly fragrant heads of white bloom on 30" (75cm) stems. Been showing up on Facebook plant groups mislabeled.  The flowers are striped red on the outside.

Second one is Allium narcissiflorum; I have two clumps about the same size, only one is blooming.  After many years, finally found a half sun/half shade spot that it likes.

[johnralphcarpenter]

Allium ameloprasum var. babingtonii is a mighty impressive plant at over two metres tall!

[olegKon]

1. Allium ramosum
2. Seed grown allium which doesn't match the label. Any chance for it to be identified?

[fermi de Sousa]

2. Seed grown allium which doesn't match the label. Any chance for it to be identified?

It looks a bit like Allium saxatile - but how tall is it? Is the foliage still present when the flowers open? How wide across is the flower head? Is it in flower now? Does it have a distinct bulb or just swollen stem bases (like chives)? Answers to these questions would help identify it,
cheers
fermi

[olegKon]

Thank you for help, Fermi. The plant is appr. 30 cm tall. Foliage is present during flowering. Leaves are placed alternatively in the lower third of the stem so the plant looks as if flat. It is the end of the flowering time now. I/m not sure about the bulb but the allium doesn't look having swollen stem bases like chives. The stem is rather wiry so I think the bulb should be somewhat like allium rotundum or this kind. Thanks again.
Oleg

[TheOnionMan]

Hi Oleg, your unknown Allium does not have stamens as prominently long and exserted as typically seed in A. saxatile, so it doesn't strike me as that species. Photo is a bit blurry, and, would like to see photo of foliage and possibly even a bulb, but it reminds me of Allium strictum or lineare, or one of the many similar species in that clan. 

What was it mislabeled as?

[TheOnionMan]

Last year I was revamping parts of my old Allium garden that has fallen into terrible disrepair and weed infestation (looking like a tall grass prairie), moving plants to a new area after removing all soil and inspecting for full removal of weed roots.  I lost some stock of Allium cernuum 'Wall of Pink', a fine exceptionally vigorous form growing nearly 2-1/2' (75 cm) with beautifully formed heads.  The move has suited the plants and they have come back strong to make a grand show.

[Maggi Young]

McMark, that is a VERY attractive pink onion - and a pretty picture too.

[TheOnionMan]

Similarly, I've been plucking out lots and lots of Allium flavum var. tauricum forms from the high grass, a miracle these little plants were able to survive and compete for very long, indeed I have lost some diversity and excellent color forms.  Once moved to a new home (clear sandy bed), they have sprung back in force and looking bright and colorful for all of July.  I'm going to post photos of a number of color forms; they're mostly rather subtle, deserving of close inspection, I love them all.

1. season starts beginning of July, young bulbs in front showing some variability
2. lovely soft pink color
3. good reddish-orange one, dang rabbits cut off 5 of 6 stems, this is the only one left to flower, then they nipped that one too.
4. my best red form

Addendum: thank you Maggie, that cernuum reminds me of cotton candy (candy floss in Europe).

[TheOnionMan]

Some more portraits of Allium flavum var. tauricum colors forms in my garden.

1.  a subdued dulled pink, with bright pink stamens and open bell-shape to the florets.
2.  I'm happy to have 1 white form, a rare color for flavum tauricum forms, used to have a dwarf clear white, but no longer.
3.  bright pink form, with some orange ones in the background.
4.  my best red (deep rose-red) at later anthesis, they typically color up strongly once flowered are fertilized.
5.  pastel melon color

[Maggi Young]

The range of colour  in the tauricum is a surprise to me - had no ideathey could make those soft shades. Lovely   

[pontus]

Hello everyone,

Could someone please help me ID this allium sp, found in Sweden this summer growing in a ditch by the roadside, in almost pure sand, by the coast?

it is quite tall, about 130 cm's, thick stems, with loose heads of pink flowers with alot of dark bulbils forming in the flowerhead,

Pontus

[ashley]

Pontus it looks like Allium ampeloprasum var. babingtonii, widely naturalised across northern Europe.

[Matt T]

If the leaves are flat and keeled (like a leek), I was going to suggest that it's the sand leek, Allium scorodoprasum, which occurs throughout Europe, including the UK: http://www.british-wild-flowers.co.uk/L-Flowers/Leek,%20Sand.htm