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Amaryllidaceae FAMILY

Allium paradoxum

Allium paradoxum

Edibility
3/5
Medicinal
2/5

Safety & Hazards

Although no individual reports regarding this species have been seen, there have been cases of poisoning caused by the consumption, in very large quantities and by some mammals, of certain members of this genus. Dogs seem to be particularly susceptible[1].

Cultivation Details

HabitBulb
Growth—

Allium paradoxum is not very hardy outside the milder areas of the temperate zone, it can tolerate temperatures down to between -5 and -10°c[2]. Prefers a rich moist but well-drained soil[3, 4]. Plants grow well in a heavy wet clay soil in north-west England, where they are self-sowing[5]. Plants are shade tolerant[6], they are easily grown in a cool leafy soil[7] and grow well in light moist woodland[5]. The bulbs should be planted fairly deeply[3]. A notably odorous plant with a strong garlic-like aroma[8]. The seeds have an oil-bearing appendage which is attractive to ants. The ants carry the seed away to eat the oil and then discard the seed, thus aiding dispersal of the plant[5]. The picked flowers can remain fresh for several weeks[9].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a greenhouse or cold frame. It germinates quickly and can be grown on in the greenhouse for the first year, planting out the dormant bulbs in the late summer of the following year if they have developed sufficiently, otherwise grow on in pots for a further year. Stored seed can be sown in spring in a greenhouse. Bulbils, harvested in mid to late spring, can either be planted immediately or be stored and then planted in late summer. Division in summer after the plants have died down. Very easy, the bulbs divide fairly freely and can be dug up then replanted direct into their permanent positions if required. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-20. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Allium+paradoxum>

Pollinators

Bees, Insects

References

  1. [1]Poisonous Plants in Britain and their Effects on Animals and Man. — Cooper. M. and Johnson. A. · HMSO · 1984 · ISBN 0112425291 ↩︎Concentrates mainly on the effects of poisonous plants to livestock.
  2. [2]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
  3. [3]RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 — F. Chittendon. · Oxford University Press · 1951 · ISBN - ↩︎Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [ 200 ]).
  4. [4]Hardy Bulbs.; Including Half-hardy Bulbs and Tuberous and Fiberous-rooted Plants — Grey. C. H. · Williams & Norgate. · 1938 · ISBN - ↩︎Rather dated now, but an immense work on bulbs for temperate zones and how to grow them. Three large volumes.
  5. [5]Alliums. The Ornamental Onions. — Davies. D. · Batsford · 1992 · ISBN 0-7134-7030-5 ↩︎Covers about 200 species of Alliums. A very short section on their uses, good details of their cultivation needs.
  6. [6]Shade Plants for Garden and Woodland. — Brown. ↩︎
  7. [7]Bulbs — Phillips. R. and Rix. M. · Pan Books · 1989 · ISBN 0-330-30253-1 ↩︎Superbly illustrated, it gives brief details on cultivation and native habitat.
  8. [8]Ethnobotany of the Caucasus — Bussmann R.W. (Editor) · Springer Nature; Switzerland · 2017 · ISBN 978-3-319-49411-1 ↩︎
  9. [9]Flowers of the Mediterranean. — Polunin. O. and Huxley. A. · Hogarth Press · 1987 · ISBN 0-7012-0784-1 ↩︎A very readable pocket flora that is well illustrated. Gives some information on plant uses.
  10. [10]Flora of the British Isles. — Clapham, Tutin and Warburg. · Cambridge University Press · 1962 · ISBN - ↩︎A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures.
  11. [11]Ornamental Plants From Russia — http://www.efloras.org/flora_page.aspx?flora_id=120 ↩︎Brief information on ornamental plants found growing wild in Russia, often including the habitat.
  12. [12]Chapter 3: Wild Allium species used as food and folk medicine in Iran — Abbasi M. et al · 2008 · ISBN Marburg & Gatersl ↩︎
  13. [13]Companion Planting for Successful Gardening. — Riotte. L. · Garden Way, Vermont, USA. · 1978 · ISBN 0-88266-064-0 ↩︎Fairly good.
  14. [PFAF]Plants for a Future — pfaf.org ↩︎