Species ornamental onion
Low-growing plant with large, round, pale-pink flowers and broad, pink-green leaves.

ornamental onion

Allium karataviense

Ornamental onion (Allium karataviense) is an amazing plant for many reasons. It is a hardy bulb from Central Asia with striking, star-shaped flowers in shades of purple and pink. Its leaves die back after flowering in midsummer and the flowers last until fall. It is perfect for a low-water garden as it is drought tolerant and prefers well-drained soil. It attracts butterflies and bees to the garden and can even be planted indoors for a stunning show of flowers. It also has beautiful, grass-like foliage and is an easy plant to care for - making it the perfect choice for a low-maintenance garden!

Cycle:

Perennial

Watering:

Average

Propagation:

Division,Seed Propagation,Bulbils,Offsets

Hardiness Zone:

4 - 8

Flowers:

Pink Flowers

Sun:

full sun

Leaf:

Yes

Leaf Color:

green

Growth Rate:

Low

Maintenance:

Low

Salt Tolerant:

Yes

Care Level:

Medium

watering

Ornamental onions (Allium karataviense) generally need to be watered on a weekly or bi-weekly basis, depending on the weather and soil conditions. During hot, dry weather, the soil can dry out quickly, so the onion plants should be checked often to determine if they need to be watered. In cooler weather, it may be necessary to water every 2 weeks. When watering, it is important to provide enough water to thoroughly moisten the soil, but not so much that it is excessively soggy. The amount of water needed will depend on the size of the onion plants and the size of the pot they are in, with larger plants and bigger pots needing more water.

sunlight

Ornamental onion (Allium karataviense) thrives best in sunny areas that get full sun for 8 hours or more per day. This plant typically blooms in mid to late spring. Sunlight during the blooming season encourages the ornamental onion to produce more flowers. In winter, the ornamental onion is dormant, so dimmer winter sunlight won't cause any harm. If possible, an east- or south-facing spot that will catch the morning sun is ideal for the ornamental onion.

pruning

Ornamental onion (Allium karataviense) plants should be pruned once a year, preferably in late spring or early summer. Pruning should be done by cutting back the foliage and flower stalks to within 2 to 3 inches from the ground. Be sure to leave any basal leaves that may be present at the base of the plant. This will help promote the next season of growth. Deadheading can also be done to promote more blooming. This is simply the removal of spent flower heads, as well as faded leaves, from the plant. This will help the ornamental onion look its best.

Season

Fall
Winter
Spring
Summer
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Starts Flowering

Allium karataviense typically starts flowering in late spring, usually in May or June.

Starts Flowering

Allium karataviense typically starts flowering in late spring, usually in May or June.

Hardiness Map