Harvesting History

Rarely Seen – Allium Karativiense

For those of you who know me personally, you know that I have several gardening books that I treasure. The authors are researchers whose horticultural knowledge and experience can be trusted, and their books are a glorious visual celebration of the topics detailed within. When the topic of bulbs arises, my all-time favorite book is BULB, written by Anna Pavord and published in 2009. Anna’s section on Alliums in this book is one of the most enchanting pieces I have ever read. In this newsletter, I am going to quote from BULB several times because there simply is no better way to describe the topic than the way Anna Pavord describes it.

To begin a discussion of Alliums, you must listen to Anna Pavord’s introduction:

The Allium family includes an enormous collection of plants including leeks, onions, elephant garlic and shallots. There are more than 200 species and thousands of cultivars. In the wild, they are found all over the Northern Hemisphere including North America, the Middle East, western China, the Pyrenees, the Alps and the Mediterranean. They flourish with exposure to full sun, in rugged mountainous areas where the ground drains quickly and completely. They also love bone meal, so add a generous helping of bone meal (1/4 cup) to the hole where you plant each bulb.

Of all the ‘critter resistant’ bulbs that we discuss, the Alliums are the most ‘critter resistant’. Deer, rabbits, squirrels, mice, moles and voles cannot stand the smell of Alliums. The fragrance is so strong and so offensive to critters that Alliums can be used to deter the critters from tulips and other more vulnerable bulbs. A critter has to be really desperate to eat an Allium.

Allium Azureum AKA Allium Caeruleum

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In the words of Anna Pavord,

She is completely right. You plant Allium Azureum because of its rare, stunningly pure blue color, and the only way to really enjoy the color is by viewing it in drifts of at least 10 bulbs.

The plant is native to Siberia, so it is very rugged. It was introduced into Europe and the British Isles in 1830. As noted in BULB,

Allium Azureum tends to bloom later than many of its cousins, sometime during mid-summer. The bulbs should be planted 3-4 inches deep and 1-2 inches apart.

Allium Karativiense

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This is my favorite Allium! Years ago, long before the internet, having not paid attention to its description, I planted 3 bulbs. In the spring, these exquisite, broad, fleshy, gray-green leaves edged in burgundy emerged from the soil.

Allium Karativiense Bud

Then I waited and waited and finally these large buds grew out of the center of the plant looking like the onion domes on St. Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow. When the bud stems were about 4 inches tall, the buds burst and a softball-sized, white ball developed.

Then I read the description and learned that Allium Karativiense never gets taller than 6 inches, but those white balls still command a huge presence in the garden. Clusters of 3 bulbs are all you need for most gardens.

Allium Karativiense was collected from the wild in the Karatau Mountains by the Russian plantsman, Nikolai Sewerzow. It was introduced in 1878.

This, however, is not the end of my Karativiense story. I watched each day as this Allium graced my garden, and then, for a few weeks, I forgot about it. When I went to see it, at the end of each flower stem, the flower had disappeared and been replaced by this weirder than weird, flesh-colored, mini-blob. The lovely white softball had been replaced by a fleshy blob that surely had originated in outer space. I loved it!

The Space Alien Phase of Allium Karativiense

For those of you who have better things to do than look for space aliens in your garden, plant these bulbs a good 6 inches deep and 8 inches apart. They multiply rapidly, so think about separating them in 3 years. If you let them get crowded, the white balls get smaller and smaller and that is no fun.

Allium Sphaerocephalon

Known as the Drumstick Allium, Allium Sphaerocephalon produces a 1 inch pear-shaped blob on the tip of a slender, 24-30 inch green stem. Initially the blob, is mostly green with a cap of burgundy, but as the blob matures, the burgundy slowly covers the entire blob.

Sphaerocephalon is the last of the Alliums to bloom in my garden and the longest bloomer. It starts mid-summer and finishes in late August. You can start with a cluster of five bulbs, but 10 is recommended.

The fact to remember about this Allium is that the older it gets, the bigger the flowerhead becomes. Three to five year old plants, that have enjoyed where they are planted, can have flowerheads that are as much as 3 inches tall.

Allium Sphaerocephalon is native to Europe from the British Isles to the Caucasus, north Africa and Israel. It is very easy to grow and can tolerate moister soil than most Alliums.

Plant the bulbs 3-4 inches deep and 3 inches apart. This Allium multiplies rapidly, so plan to divide it every 3-4 years. If you let Sphaerocephalon get crowded, the flowerheads will become smaller and smaller and may not even appear at all.

Allium Amplectens Graceful Beauty

Allium Amplectens is one of the very rare North American Native bulbs. It is native to the West Coast from California northward to Washington State. It is known as Graceful Beauty and that moniker is perfect for this flower. When you look at a photo, your initial impression is that this is a white flower with something indescribable about it. The indescribable is the softest of lavender coloration that occurs on the midribs of each tiny petal. Sometimes the color is lavender, sometimes it is pink. That tiny bit of color adds a gracefulness to the overall impression that the flowerhead presents.

The plants are usually 12-16 inches tall, and the soft globes are never more than 1-2 inches in diameter. It pairs well with Allium Azureum but never as a mixture. It is better to place a drift of Azureum in back of a drift of Amplectens.

Plant these bulbs in drifts of 10 at least 4 inches deep and 3 inches apart. They double in number every 2-3 years and should be divided every 3-4 years. They will stop blooming if allowed to get too crowded.

Allium Schubertii

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Maybe, we have saved the best for last, but each of the Alliums discussed in this newsletter has something unique and very special to recommend them. Schubertii is without question the showiest of all the Alliums and one of the most unusual flowers available today. It was introduced in 1843.

It grows abundantly in Palestine, Syria, northern Iran and western Turkestan where it nestles in the rich soil trapped among the large rocks on hillsides. It loves the intense heat of summer sun-baked soil.

What makes this Allium so exceptional is its flowerhead which is a mixture of 4-6 inch flower stalks randomly interspersed among 6-8 inch flower stalks. When fully mature, the flowerhead is nearly a perfect globe as much as 16 inches in diameter giving the impression of an exploding firecracker, hence the nickname, The Firecracker Allium.

Plant these bulbs at least 6 inches deep and 20 inches apart. Schubertiis show best when their globes are not overlapping and you are allowed to appreciate each single exploding firecracker.

Dried Alliums

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Almost all Alliums make terrific dried flowers. Their flowerheads are dramatic, exotic and unforgettable. If you are going to dry Alliums, harvest them when the stems are still green and the flowers are still in full color. You can even begin by keeping them as cut flowers in a vase with water. They will last 2-3 months this way. Eventually remove the water and place in a warm, dry area with good air circulation. It will take another 2-4 months for them to complete the drying process.

Dried Allium flowerheads tend to fall off their stems. The only way to prevent this is by harvesting the flowers before they begin to die.

Allium Schubertii flowerheads make the very best fairy wands ever. If you have a princess or a fairy living in your home or nearby, you must grow some wands for her. Painted gold or silver with lots of glitter, these fairy wands cannot be beat!

Allium Schubertii

One last admonition from Anna Pavord:

If you have missed some of our newsletters and want to catch up, please visit our website’s homepage, www.www.harvesting-history.com, and click on BLOGS located on the top menu.

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