(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...

(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...

(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...

(Cutleaf 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...

(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...

(Thinleaf Alder)

Ranging from a large shrub to a medium sized tree, thinleaf alder has red and golden pendent flowers (catkins), green and gray foliage and persistent fruit nutlets and smooth bark that make it interesting even in winter. A deciduous large shrub to small tree depending on severity of winter or availability of soil moisture, this species is native to Europe and the Caucausus as well as in North America from California to Canada and across the northern United States. The bark is usually smooth and gray,...

(Golden Thinleaf Alder)

Ranging from a large shrub to a medium sized tree, golden thinleaf alder has red and golden pendent flowers (catkins), yellow-green foliage and persistent fruit nutlets and smooth bark that make it interesting even in winter. A deciduous large shrub to small tree depending on severity of winter or availability of soil moisture, this species is native to Europe and the Caucausus as well as in North America from California to Canada and across the northern United States. The bark is usually smooth...

(Weeping Thinleaf Alder)

Ranging from a large shrub to a medium sized tree, weeping thinleaf alder has red and golden pendent flowers (catkins), deep green foliage and persistent fruit nutlets and smooth bark that make it interesting even in winter. A deciduous large shrub to small tree depending on severity of winter or availability of soil moisture, this species is native to Europe and the Caucausus as well as in North America from California to Canada and across the northern United States. It is an upright tree with drooping...