About
Allium 'Summer Drummer' is a notably tall ornamental variety that blooms later in the season. It features compact, spherical clusters of small pale purple flowers that appear after midsummer.
About the genus
Allium consists of bulbous herbaceous perennials characterized by a pronounced onion or garlic aroma. They feature linear, strap-like, or cylindrical leaves that arise from the base. The flowers, which can be star-shaped or bell-shaped, are arranged in an umbel atop a stem that lacks leaves.
Growing conditions
- Sunlight
- Full sun
- Soil type
- Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand
- Soil pH
- Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
- Soil moisture
- Moist but well-drained, Well-drained
- Aspect
- East-facing, South-facing, North-facing, West-facing
- Exposure
- Sheltered
- UK hardiness
- H5
Plant details
- Plant type
- Bulbs
- Habit
- Columnar upright
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Height
- 1.5-2.5 metres
- Spread
- 0-0.1 metre
- Time to full height
- 1-2 years
- Suggested uses
- City and courtyard gardens, Cottage and informal garden, Wildlife gardens
- Fragrance
- Foliage
- Toxicity
- Bulbs may irritate skin. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling
Care notes
- Cultivation
- Easy to grow in fertile well-drained soil in full sun. Add grit when grown in clay soils to improve drainage. Plant in autumn. See allium cultivation
- Pruning
- No pruning required
- Propagation
- Propagate by offsets in autumn
- Pest resistance
- Generally pest-free
- Disease resistance
- May be susceptible to onion white rot and downy mildews