Allium paradoxum
few-flowered leek
Caucasus, northern Iran, and Turkmenistan
Overview
Allium paradoxum is a bulbous perennial in the onion family, 8-16 inches (20-40 cm) tall, growing from a small white bulb. Each bulb produces a single linear, keeled basal leaf 4-10 inches (10-25 cm) long and a sharply three-angled flowering stem that smells of garlic when bruised. The terminal umbel is enclosed in a papery spathe and consists mainly of small greenish bulbils, with one to a few pendent, bell-shaped white flowers 0.4-0.6 inch (10-15 mm) long on slender stalks. Flowering occurs in April and May, after which the bulbils drop and root to form new plants, and seed is rarely set. Foliage dies down by early summer, and the plant is dormant from June until late winter. It spreads quickly through detached bulbils carried in soil and water, forming dense carpets in damp woodland and along riverbanks. Allium paradoxum is naturalised and locally invasive across Britain, where it can dominate the ground flora.
Native Range
Native to the Caucasus, northern Iran, and Turkmenistan, where it grows in moist woodland and on shaded slopes. Widely naturalised in the British Isles and parts of northern and central Europe following garden escape.Suggested Uses
Grown in shaded, damp woodland gardens and naturalistic plantings as a spring ground cover, spaced 4-6 inches (10-15 cm) apart. Its rapid bulbil spread suits large informal areas but makes it difficult to contain in small or mixed borders. Introduction to the wild is restricted in the United Kingdom.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height8" - 1'4"
Width/Spread4" - 6"
Bloom Information
Flowers in April and May, with each umbel open for about 2-3 weeks. Flowering is brief because much of the head is given over to bulbils rather than blooms. Plants in shade flower more sparsely than those in open damp ground.
Detailed Descriptions
Foliage Description
greenGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 2-5 hours of direct sunlight daily
• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight
• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight
• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight
Care & Maintenance
Care Guide
Grows in moist, humus-rich soil in part to full shade, mirroring its woodland origins. It needs no feeding and tolerates a range of soils provided they stay damp in spring. Bulbils spread it rapidly, and a small planting can carpet surrounding ground within a few years, so lifting and removing bulbils before they detach limits the spread. Foliage dies back by midsummer, leaving bare ground until the next winter. Few pests or diseases affect it. In Britain it is listed under wildlife legislation that restricts introducing it to the wild.Pruning
No pruning is needed. Removing the flower heads before bulbils ripen reduces self-spread, and lifting clumps after flowering thins colonies. Foliage is left to die back naturally to feed the bulb.Container Growing
✓ Suitable for container growing
Minimum container size: 1 gallons