Allium Gladiator -MASTER-

Allium Gladiator is an ornamental onion with a few narrow, green leaves towards the base, on the top of the very tall stem forms a spherical umbel with densely clustered star-shaped flowers. Flowerhead or umbel is approximately 12-15cm in diameter of lovely rose-purple colours and green-hued centres.

Very tall and reliable, Allium Gladiator is one of the tallest and loveliest purple Allium blooms. Hardy and durable, a delight for gardeners and extremely attractive for pollinators with multitudes of tiny blooms that attract birds, bees and butterflies. Plant in groups or use these vibrant coloured flowers in garden flower areas. Great for planting at the back of beds or in borders or in pots or containers and wonderful as a cut flower.

Genus Allium includes a variety of cultivars which are both useful and beautiful, some of the well-known cultivars includes leeks and onions. Cultivars of the beautiful flowering varieties of Allium are commonly called ornamental onions. Allium plants are perennial geophytes with bulbs. Stalks or scapes, are long, leafless stems which rise from the bulb on which the flowerheads are produced.

Flowerheads of the Allium are often characterised by multitudes of small blooms, some with very petite petals resulting in an almost pom-pom look. Other blooms are larger in size and have larger petal sizes, and typical flowerheads are spherical or rounded in shape.

Allium are hardy plants and can tolerate cold weather up to zone 4. Sun-loving, Allium prefers to bask in the sun’s rays all day long and can tolerate some shade. Must be planted in the fall prior to freezing so roots are able to initially set before the coming cold.

Hardy growers, Allium is tolerant of most soil types and conditions as long as they are well-drained. Drought-resistant Allium is great for adding splashes of colour to the garden scene. Plant bulbs at depths of 2-4 times the diameter of the bulb, usually in the range of 10-15cm.