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Allium strictum

 
Allium strictum
stiff onion
Allium strictum

Common name stiff onion
Family liliaceae
Life cycle perennial
Flowers pink (May)
Size 12-18"
From seed germinate at room temperature
detailed seed-starting info below
Seed ripenslate July

Eurasian allium species growing in a pocket of our rock garden. It entered our garden as seed of 'Allium platycaule', but when it clearly was not that, I got some online help to identify it (there's also a possibility it is A. hymenorrhizum, which is distinguished by its strongly falcate [curved like a siccle] initial leaf emergence). The little pink flower clusters are nice enough, and I like how they are held on tall slender stems. The seedheads, developing throughout June and July, keep the attraction going after the flowers fade. They stay very tight, which I find more attractive than the looser seed clusters of many of their genus-mates.

stiff onion
Allium strictum
stiff onion
Buds just barely opening, with the papery husk that covered the entire cluster still hanging on

We left this plant behind in our Pennsylvania garden (and wish it well); we don't grow it in Houston.

Seed for this plant is included on my seed trade list

About my plant portraits
PlantLinks to other web pages about Allium strictum


Seed-starting details for this plant

  1. Seed from NARGS '08/'09 exchange (obtained as 'A. platycaule'). Baggy 70F (90%G, 5-9d)
  2. Same seed as above, cold-stored through summer. Baggy 70F (92%G, 5d)
  3. Same seed as above. Baggy 70F (90%G, 5d)
  4. Seed from '12 garden. Baggy 70F (73%G, 5-8d)


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