About
Allium moly, the yellow garlic or golden garlic, is a vigorous, low-growing bulbous perennial producing paired, narrow, glaucous grey-green basal leaves and bright yellow, upward-facing, star-shaped flowers in loose, domed clusters on stems to around 25 cm throughout summer. One of the most cheerful and reliable of all yellow bulbs, it naturalises readily and self-seeds in well-drained, sunny spots.
About the genus
Allium are bulbous herbaceous perennials with a characteristic onion or garlic scent when bruised, producing linear, strap-shaped or cylindrical basal leaves and star-shaped or bell-shaped flowers in a rounded umbel on a leafless stem. The flower colour ranges from white and yellow to pink, purple and blue. Many species have ornamental seedheads that persist attractively after flowering.
Growing conditions
SunlightFull sun
Soil typeChalk, Loam, Sand
Soil pHAcid, Alkaline, Neutral
Soil moistureMoist but well-drained, Well-drained
AspectSouth-facing, West-facing
ExposureSheltered
UK hardinessH6
Plant details
Plant typeBulbs
HabitClump forming
FoliageDeciduous
Height0.1-0.5 metres
Spread0.1-0.5 metres
Time to full height1-2 years
Suggested usesCottage and informal garden, Patio and container plants, Wildlife gardens, Wildflower meadow, City and courtyard gardens
Native toEurope, NW Africa
FragranceFoliage
Care notes
CultivationGrow in full sun and a fertile well-drained soil. It is best to grow in containers where garden soil is heavy clay and prone to saturation over winter. See allium cultivation
PruningNo pruning required, other than to remove old flowered stems and foliage
PropagationPropagate by seed, sowing in containers in a cold frame when just ripe or in the spring and by division of clumps in spring. See bulb propagation
Pest resistanceMay be susceptible to allium leaf miner and onion fly
Disease resistanceMay be susceptible to onion white rot, and onion downy mildew