Allium cristophii - Star of Persia

Star of Persia is a bulbous perennial with grey green strap-like foliage that begins to wither in late spring as its flowering stem goes up.  These bare upright stems sport massive 8-12" global clusters of tiny silvery lavender star-like flowers from late spring into early summer.  Grows best with light afternoon shade in the South and dry to medium well-drained soils.  When crushed the foliage smells like onion.

MAINTENANCE NEEDS: Low maintenance. Bulb rot will occur in overly moist or poorly drained soils.  Watch for mildew, rust, and leaf spot.  Thrips are occasional problems.

LANDSCAPE USES:  Accents or Group Plantings, Borders, Woodland Gardens, Naturalized Areas, Rock Gardens, Groundcover, and Containers.

COMPANION PLANTS: Switchgrass, Russian Sage, Stonecrop

IMAGES: I, Nevit Dilmen, Tema Nezahat Gokyigit Park 1060674 20080513131622, CC BY-SA 3.0, (2) Meneerke bloem, Allium cristophii01, CC BY-SA 3.0

*As plants have ranges in appearance they may not appear as the images shown.