Allium 'Summer beauty'
Allium senescens ‘Summer Beauty’
Personal evaluation
A strong, free-flowering selection of Allium senescens with an exceptionally long flowering period. Unlike many bulb Alliums, this is a true perennial that forms clumps and performs reliably for many years.
This cultivar grows slightly taller than ‘Millennium’, which for me makes it easier to combine within perennial borders. As the flower stems emerge, they also show a noticeable and attractive curling habit.
Compared with ‘Millennium’, ‘Summer Beauty’ is therefore slightly taller and has a lighter flower colour, while offering at least the same ornamental value.
Plant type
Perennial
Flower colour
Lilac / pink-purple
Flower form
Spherical umbels
Flowering period
June – August
Height
40–50 cm
Spread
Approx. 35–40 cm
Foliage
Fresh green, narrow, grass-like, aromatic
Position
Full sun to light partial shade
Soil
Well-drained soil; dry to moderately moist
Hardiness
Hardy (approx. −20 to −25 °C)
Maintenance
Low
Key features
• Excellent plant for bees and butterflies
• Long summer flowering period
• Low susceptibility to diseases and pests
• Suitable for perennial borders and public plantings
Uses
Border plant, mass planting, prairie-style planting, combinations with ornamental grasses and other drought-tolerant perennials
Pruning
Remove spent flower heads for a tidy appearance; not required to encourage reblooming
Origin
The species Allium senescens is native to Central and East Asia, including Mongolia, Siberia, northern China and Kazakhstan, where it grows on dry, rocky slopes and open grasslands.
Allium ‘Summer Beauty’ is a hybrid cultivar with parentage that can no longer be determined with certainty. Species such as Allium angulosum, A. senescens and A. lusitanicum are often mentioned. In practice, this cultivar has proven to be a very reliable perennial Allium, comparable to ‘Millennium’.
An important advantage is that ‘Summer Beauty’ is sterile and does not produce seed, preventing unwanted self-seeding.
The breeder is believed to be Roy Diblik of Northwind Perennial Farm.