Favorite Allium Flower for Butterflies and More
Allium tanguticum: Allium ‘summer beauty’, Summer beauty allium
Plant Specs:
- Perennial: USDA hardiness zones 4-9 (lows -34.4 °C or -30 °F)
- Full sun to part shade
- Average water needs
- Height 18 to 24 inches
- Spacing: 2 ft
- Flowers: pink to lavender
- Blooms mid to late summer
Plant Propagation:
- Divide bulbs in fall or spring
- Flowers are sterile and don’t produce viable seed
Pros:
- Pink pom-pom flowers create a showy garden display
- One plant produces many flowers
- Sterile flowers make this species a non-invasive variety
- Butterfly and pollinator favorite
- Rabbits and rodents don’t touch it
- Care free plant
- Allium is said to either confuse or repel aphids with its scent- we haven’t had an aphid infestation for a few years and this could be part of the reason. Allium Aphid Research
Cons:
- If you run over the foliage with your lawn mower you’ll definitely smell it…but so will the aphids!
- Overly dry soil can cause leaves to brown prematurely.
- No other issues I’ve experienced or heard about. I highly recommend this allium for butterfly gardens.
Summer Beauty Growing Tips:
- Grow by milkweed to repel aphids.
- Fall division suggested: gives roots time to acclimate before winter and you know where everything is growing.
- Mix with the all-white Allium tuberosum (garlic chives)
. Tuberosum is another popular pollinator flower that you can eat too. Monarchs are tuberosum pollinators.
- Don’t Cut- the flower heads after they dry up. They hold shape for visual interest over winter.
Pollinator Plus:
This allium variety is popular with bumble bees, red admirals, honey bees, tiger swallowtails, and more.
Please comment below if you know of other pollinators that frequently visit Allium angulosum and help a gardener out!
Resources:
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