Allium New York

Allium ‘New York’ is an ornamental garlic that bears a nearly spherical lilac violet umbel in late spring, not very large, but quite dense. This variety is close to Allium ‘Chicago’, but its colouring is a little softer. Plant the bulbs in groups in a sunny border, among perennials that will take over when its foliage dies back.

This cultivar belongs to the Amaryllidaceae family. It results from a cross-breeding between Allium lycoanicum and Allium nigrum ‘Pink Jewel’, carried out by Wietse Mellema in the Netherlands, and was officially registered in 2022. This plant is a bulbous perennial whose vegetation emerges in spring, flowers, and then goes dormant in summer after replenishing its bulb with reserves. Its leaves are strap-shaped, brownish-green, broad and supple for an ornamental garlic. They are still present at flowering time, then turn yellow. The flowering stem measures 60 to 75 cm in height. The inflorescence is a compact, 6.5cm diameter, spherical head with a flattened underside. Each small star-shaped flower has a light violet interior, a violet exterior and a brown-green midrib. This flowering occurs in May or June, sometimes early July depending on the climate, and the dried heads are quite decorative. This variety is very hardy, down to about -20 °C in well-drained soil.
Allium is also the Latin name used for garlic; ornamental varieties are cousins of garlic, onion, chives and leek.

Plant Allium ‘New York’ in full sun, in a light, loose soil that does not retain water in winter. Plant the bulbs in small colonies, in the middle of borders, among low-growing perennials. In a pot, use a deep container with drainage holes and a well-draining substrate. You can plant it between clumps of Calamagrostis x acutiflora ‘Overdam’ and Euphorbia characias ‘Black Pearl’. It will also look good with Geranium himalayense ‘Derrick Cook’, for example.