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:
1.
2. Buy Allium ‘Summer Beauty’ Here
Find More Pink Butterfly Flower Favorites on our Butterfly Flowers Page
Please post below if you have any questions or comments about growing
Allium tanguticum in your butterfly garden:
Allium tanguticum in your butterfly garden:
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Most of the Summer Beauty allium that I have found available seem to create seeds that germinate and may not do well in the hot Houston summers. I intend on giving it a try any way but just wondering does Society Garlic which does well here also repel aphids?
Hi Charles, many allium species are supposed to repel aphids…I prefer the ornamentals that also attract and support pollinators.
I would not recommend adding Chives or Garlic Chives, both reseed aggressively unless you snip the flower heads once the blooms fade. Corkscrew Allium (Allium senescens), Allium Millenium, are much better allium companions. I find it easier to deal with the aphids standing than bending over teasing those little allium seedlings from in and between all the other plants.
Cheers!
Tony, if I order these now, can I still plant them this year? Mid-Michigan. Thanks.
Hi Sally, we divided our in the fall (Minnesota) a few years back and they all came back the next season. I would say once you get to mid-October you are pushing it, but now is a great time to plant
Hi! I am raising and releasing Monarch’s this summer after researching this past year. What a totally wonderful experience! My 6 yr old granddaughter is helping release 1 – 2 butterflies a day! (soon to be more than that). We had fun naming them as cat’s and re-naming them as gender is discovered. After the first 30+ I decided to try a few more to end the season. I ended up with 30+ eggs in minutes! I can’t find it now but, did I read somewhere, the late summer bunch will be smaller? I have 7 now that have walked away, gone quiet and they are 1/2 the size of all previous cat’s turning to chrysalis. With so many, I don’t know which stage (instar) they are at this time. I am in Fort Wayne, IN. I have plenty of fresh milkweed, washing leaves (water), de-bugging before offering in multiple, clean, net covered containers. Also, do cat’s possibly get hick-ups? I’ve seen this movement frequently. Part of the fun! The best part…seeing a little girl run after them upon release….”Bye! G-Bye!” It’s worth all the effort! I am hoping to find tags if it isn’t too late this season. Ideas are appreciated! Thanks for encouraging people to give Monarch’s a better chance! Try, so they might fly!
Hi Sandy, there are actually more monarchs with each new generation in the summer and this is entering peak season. If you haven’t joined Raise the Migration, it’s a free event to take you through the process of Raising and Releasing Migration Monarchs. Join Here:
Raise The Migration
Hi Tony,
I’m in Southern California, zone 10. Can I grow this here? Will it dry out? I’m having a hard time with nectar flowering plants. I’m thinking of Mexican Flame Vine as I’ve heard it grows well here.
Hi Hollie, I’m going to guess it would not grow well in your region, but maybe someone will share some first hand growing info from your region. The Mexican flame vine sounds like a good option…
Thx for info, as we had aphids. I was going to use diluted dish liquid, but that might repel laying Monarchs. Any experience to share?
Hi Agi, when using insecticidal soap or a homemade concoction just make sure there aren’t eggs/caterpillars on the plantswhen treating and rinse thoroughly afterwards…
What other plants repel aphids? flowering or otherwise. My milkweed have lots and lots of aphids. Thanks.
Also, maybe I cannot see them but I have not identified and eggs?
Thanks
Hi Glen, check out this post for more info:
How To stop Aphids from Taking Over Milkweed
Several comments above refer to garlic chives. I can say from experience that they bloom in late spring and definitely spread from seeds. The links you gave take me to Giant Allium which is also not what you are talking about. Here’s a couple links to the one I think you are talking about: http://avantgardensne.com/allium-summer-beauty, http://www.perennialnursery.com/allium-summer-beauty.html
This now explains why I don’t have an aphid problem. I have a sort of “Kitchen Garden” with vegetables, herbs and butterfly plants. I’m growing garlic chives, Giant Allium and common yellow onions right by my Swamp Milkweed and Tropical Milkweed.
Neem works well for Japanese Beetles on my Roses and Grapes as well as for Cabbage worms on my Broccoli, But I don’t spray it on my milkweed because it does something to make critters not eat.
Glad for the information about garlic chives. I’ll start transplanting from my garden.
BUT, IS NEEM OIL AS BAD FOR THE CATS AS IT IS GOOD TO REPEL APHIDS?
cELlery
Hello cELlery, I don’t ever leave anything on the leaves of milkweed for two reasons 1. it could hurt/kill the eggs caterpillars 2. It could cause monarchs to bypass the plant because they wouldn’t recognize it as milkweed (monarchs have sensory organs on their feet to help them recognize milkweed plants)
Guess I will be transplanting some chives into the milkweeds as I have noticed aphids on our milkweeds before! Thanks for the tip. Might even consider buying more 🙂 . I went and pulled a lot of it up last year-now I know that was a bad decision. But well able to fix! 🙂