Allium 'Ostara'

Overview

Allium 'Ostara': The Long-Lasting Compact Favourite

Brighten up your patio pots and garden borders with Allium 'Ostara', a superb hybrid variety renowned for its vibrant colour and tidy habit. A cross between Allium karataviense and Allium atropurpureum, this plant inherits the best traits of both parents, displaying deep reddish-purple, globe-shaped flowers that sit atop strong, compact stems. Unlike many other ornamental onions where the leaves wither before the flowers open, Ostara is famous because its broad, grey-green foliage remains healthy and attractive throughout the blooming period. Reaching a modest height, it is an ideal choice for containers, rockeries, or the front of a garden border, offering a punch of intense colour without overpowering its neighbours.

Key Features

• Exceptional Foliage: One of the few Alliums where the leaves stay glossy and green while the plant is in flower, avoiding the "scruffy" look common in taller varieties.

• Perfect for Containers: With its naturally shorter stature (approx. 40–50 cm), it is perfectly proportioned for patio pots and window boxes where taller varieties might flop or look out of place.

• Intense Colour: The flower heads are dense and rich in colour, darkening from a deep violet to a wine-red purple as they mature, creating a stunning contrast against lighter foliage plants.

  Wildlife Friendly: Like its cousins, the star-shaped florets are rich in nectar, providing a vital feeding station for bees, butterflies, and other pollinating insects in late spring.

Gardener's Tip

Because 'Ostara' is significantly shorter than giants like 'Gladiator' or 'Globemaster', it creates the most impact when planted at the very front of your flower beds or along pathways. For a stunning contemporary look, plant them in odd-numbered clumps (5, 7, or 9 bulbs) in a low bowl planter surrounded by silver foliage plants like Stachys (Lamb's Ear) to make the purple blooms pop.

Specifications