Allium insubricum |
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| ALLIUM INSUBRICUM Of all my collection, ‘tis this one I choose. Difficult to get I’ve been told. Seedlist upon seedlist I checked through. And Allium insubricum, I ordered. Nothing happened the first year, not a single sprout. Patience, I said and waited another year. Little green threads appeared. Threads became leaves in their third year. Still no flowers and I expected it would not be true. In the fourth year, to my surprise, ‘twas exactly what it was supposed to be. Six to eight inches tall, with great ballerina skirts from a nodding scape. Better than the normal color, reddish purple you know, These were true pink, a bonus for patience I hope. Excitement upon me, I scoured all of Europe. My effort paid off in Switzerland with great quantities of seed. Next year will be their fourth, and mostly reddish purple I expect, but with fingers crossed I dream of a white. 1996 Marsha Russell
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 Allium insubricum emerges in the spring from dark red leaf bases. A light, loamy soil with good drainage seems to it's liking, with some protection from hot sun, preferring an open, partially shaded position. Can be slow to become established, even recalcitrant in some gardens, but when conditions are found that it likes and plants settle in, they make fine, showy clumps.
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Top photo by Marsha Russell, other photos by Mark McDonough |
