(Siberian Onion)

One of the few ornamental onions to bloom in late summer, this native of Europe and Central Asia bears small dense umbels of cup-shaped lilac-pink flowers on compact stems. The grassy, pungently scented leaves appear in spring and remain green all season. The leaves and flower stems grow from narrow bulbs clustered on a shallow rhizome.

Siberian onion prefers sun and well-drained soil and tolerates drought once established. Lift and divide the clumps only when they become crowded. Grow this diminutive...

(Blue-flowered Ornamental Onion)

This ornamental onion, a bulbous perennial, is grown for its tiny loose umbels of bright blue or white bell-shaped nodding flowers, which bloom in early summer. The flower stalks emerge from a basal clump of long, green twisted leaves. Alliums belong to the onion family and thus all have the familiar pungent fragrance when their leaves or stems are crushed. This ornamental onion is native to China, Tibet, Nepal, and India where it grows in full sun and well-draining, often sandy soil.

In the...

(Drumstick Onion, Round-headed Garlic)

The drumstick onion, a bulbous perennial, is grown for its dense, egg-shaped clusters of small, greenish-pink to dark-red flowers, which bloom in the summer on tall flower stalks that emerge from a basal clump of long, linear green leaves. When crushed, the leaves and stems have the familiar, pungent fragrance of the onion family. The drumstick onion is native to Europe, Africa, and Asia, where it grows in full sun and well-drained, often sandy soil.

In the fall, plant this bulb a hand’s width...

(Tall Ornamental Onion)

In late spring this bulbous perennial onion from Central Asia bears large globular heads of starry purple flowers on tall stems. The long, strap shaped, grayish-green leaves wither as the flowering stems appear. The leaves, stems, and bulbs carry the typical "onion scent".

Plant the bulbs in autumn at a depth three times their height in fertile well-drained soil and full sun. Lift and divide the clumps only when they become crowded. Plant this ornamental onion wherever you want an exclamation...

(Tall Ornamental Onion)

One of a host of ornamental onions hailing from Central Asia, Allium stipitatum bears large globular heads of purple flowers on tall stems in late spring. The flowers of the cultivar 'Mars' are an especially deep lavender purple. The long, strap shaped, grayish-green leaves wither as the flowering stems appear. The leaves, stems, and bulbs carry the typical "onion scent".

Plant the bulbs in autumn at a depth three times their height in fertile well-drained soil and full sun. Lift and...

(Tall Ornamental Onion)

One of a host of alliums native to Central Asia, this ornamental onion bears large globular heads of star-shaped flowers on tall stems in late spring. The cultivar 'Mount Everest' has snow-white flowers. The long, strap shaped, grayish-green leaves wither as the flowering stems appear. The leaves, stems, and bulbs carry the typical "onion scent".

Plant the bulbs in autumn at a depth three times their height in fertile well-drained soil and full sun. Lift and divide the clumps only when they become...

(Chinese Chives)

There are lots of reasons to love and hate garlic chives, also called Chinese chives. On the upside, they’re easy to grow, attractive and delicious to eat. The downside is they're impossibly invasive if one doesn't remove their flower heads before they set and drop seed. Each seedhead produces copious amounts of viable, black, wedge-shaped seeds that germinate fast. You’ll be weeding baby garlic chives out of every garden nook and cranny. The plants originate from Southwest China but have become...

(Oneleaf Garlic)

This ornamental onion, a bulbous perennial, is grown for its showy dense umbels of star-shaped lavender-pink flowers, which bloom in the late spring. Strappy, blue-green leaves wither before the flowers emerge. Alliums belong to the onion family and thus all have the familiar pungent fragrance when their leaves or stems are crushed. Allium unifolium is native to California, where it grows in full sun and well-draining, often sandy soil.

In the fall, plant this bulb two inches deep in well-drained...

(Italian Alder)

Glossy heart-like leaves and the persistent brown seed fruits make Italian alder a great shade tree with multi-season interest and grace. An upright deciduous tree that does not get too wide, it hails from southern Italy and Corsica. Its barks becomes light gray-sandy brown with shallow fissures and small plates, often blotched.

In early spring this tree flowers. The male flowers are in drooping, finger-like clusters called catkins and are yellow-green. The female flower are small and red and...

(European Alder)

Black alder is a medium-sized, fast-growing, deciduous tree native to Europe, western Asia, and northern Africa, but has naturalized in other regions including the northeastern and central United States. It bears handsome, glossy, dark-green leaves from spring to fall, and its catkins provide mild interest in winter and early spring.

Requiring sun but thriving in most soils, it excels as a shade or screening tree in sites that are too damp or barren for other trees. It may be invasive in some...