Allium sphaerocephalon

Sometimes known as the Drumstick Allium or round-headed garlic, Allium sphaerocephalon is one of the latest flowering of the alliums you can grow in the UK and it is one of the most popular members of our collection of allium bulbs for sale.

Allium sphaerocephalon has smaller flowers than many, but they are a very deep (almost blackcurrant) purple. It is treasured by gardeners for being so late into flower (one of the reasons it holds an RHS AGM), usually peaking at the very end of July or the first weeks of August at a time when many parts of a border are past their first flush of colour. The buds are pretty as well so it provides colour and interest for the best part of three months. Not bad for a bulb.

The name "drumstick" is pretty obvious. The tightly formed egg shaped flower heads standing on tall leafless stems up to 90 cms tall look like brightly painted drumsticks. If planted in mid-border, the massed blooms sway gently above surrounding herbaceous plants adding a "height interest" in mid/late summer.

Allium sphaerocephalon naturalises beautifully self-seeding as it goes, making it a wonderful plant with which to create the massed drifts in which it looks best.

Why we like it

Very late flowering allium
a perfect mid-border plant
naturalises very well
just about bomb-proof

Planting know-how

Plant in autumn, in full sun
Plant bulbs 12-15 cm (5-6 inches) deep, 10 cm apart
Self-seeds without being invasive
Prefers fertile well-drained soil. Add grit to heavier soils such as clay to increase drainage
An excellent subject to grow in a pot

A must have allium, deep purple and looking great in a massed planting, A. sphaerocephalon is a haven for late summer pollinators to the garden.

Plant Allium sphaerocephalon in borders and containers. They also naturalise very well, self seeding where they are happy.

The principal requirement is decent drainage - alliums hate permanently wet soil and they grow best in a sunny spot.

Space them about 10 cms apart - the bulbs are relatively small for alliums, so they look a bit lost if they are not grouped together. The planting hole should be about four times deeper than the bulb is tall - so between 12-15 cms deep. The pointy end is the top...

Water in dry spring weather as late flowering daffs may not flower if they are too dry. The spent flower heads are very handsome and can be left on the plant or cut to make a dried flower arrangement. Allow the foliage to die back naturally before removing.

By all means apply a high potash fertiliser during the growing season to help bulk up the bulb for next year. Lift and divide clumps of alliums if flowering is poor.

Read our full terms and conditions here.

Delivery: The basic delivery charge for orders of bareroot plants is £6.50 + vat, which increases to £12.55 + vat if you add any pot-grown plants, standard trees or fruit trees to the order.
Because couriers sometimes experience delays, we schedule delivery by week, not by day. Therefore, please plan your planting day for the weekend at the end of the delivery week or for the week following delivery, at the earliest.
We will email you the day before your plants are due to arrive.

*Surcharges to the Highlands and Islands still apply.

Payment: We do not charge your card until we begin to prepare your order for packing.

Guarantee: If any plants die within a year, we will replace them. We only ask that you follow our planting & growing instructions and sent us clear photographs of the dead plants in situ, so we can help to make sure that the replacement plants succeed. You only pay for the delivery of the replacements.

Please note that our guarantee is void if there is a hosepipe ban in your area: your newly planted hedging must be watered in dry weather while it is establishing. The best way to water is very thoroughly every few days: at least once a week if there is no heavy rain.

Our nursery has been supplying container grown and bareroot hedging plants to gardeners, farmers and town planners since 1949. Our website started in 2003, so we do understand the concerns that you may have about buying hedging plants online. If any of your plants are damaged when they arrive or if you are otherwise not satisfied with your order after you inspect it, please repackage it and contact us. We will give you a refund or send replacements and send a courier to come and collect the unwanted plants.

Misc	RHS AGM, Wildlife Value
Area	Frost Pockets, Scotland & The North
Colour	Purple
Also Good	Seedheads
Flowering	Jul, Aug

	NUMBER OF PACKS
SIZES	1	2-4	5+
Pack of 50	Plenty of Stock£4.10	Plenty of Stock£3.50	Plenty of Stock£3.20

Drumstick Allium

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Allium sphaerocephalon

Why we like it

Planting know-how