Allium Chicago

Allium 'Chicago' is an ornamental onion with small violet umbels in late spring. Less spectacular than the giant alliums, but well coloured, it slips into a border among perennials. Plant it near white flowers, purple columbines or bright green foliage. Its stems can be cut for flower arrangements, and its dried heads remain decorative in the garden.

'Chicago' belongs to the Amaryllidaceae family. The Allium genus includes ornamental onions and several well-known vegetable plants, such as garlic, onion, chives and leek. Alliums are widespread in temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Allium 'Chicago' is a Dutch horticultural creation by W. Mellema, registered in 2022. It is a bulbous perennial plant. The plant forms a clump of brownish-green, ovate, slightly crinkled leaves, approximately 39cm long and 5.5cm wide. The flower scape reaches 70-80cm. It bears a dense, spherical inflorescence, slightly flattened underneath, about 7.5cm in diameter. The small flowers are dark violet, with a more pronounced midrib. Externally, this vein tends towards dark green. The stamens are violet, and the pollen is dark violet. Flowering occurs in May-June, depending on the region and climate. After flowering, the foliage yellows and then dries; the vegetation is deciduous. The bulb then enters dormancy until the next cycle.
Hardy to -15 °C, Allium Chicago overwinters in the ground in most gardens, provided it is planted in well-drained soil. Heavy, waterlogged winter soils are harmful to it. As with many alliums, its crushed foliage gives off a subtle but recognisable garlic smell.

Plant this 'Chicago' variety in groups of 5 to 9 bulbs, among perennials that will take over when its foliage disappears. You can pair it with the Allium aflatunense ‘Purple Sensation’, which produces larger violet umbels at the same time. Add bulbs of Allium ‘Mount Everest’, white, or Camassia leichtlinii ‘Alba’, with ivory spikes, to introduce light flowers among the violets. The almost black flowers of columbine ‘Black Barlow’ provide depth to the border, and Nepeta ‘Walker’s Low’ will continue flowering long after its companions.