Allium Starlight

Allium Starlight is a striking and unusual variety that brings a soft shimmer to the late spring garden. Each flowerhead is made up of many tiny star shaped florets in a pale silvery lilac. At the centre of every floret sits a deep plum coloured eye which gives the whole globe a fine, sparkling detail. The effect is light, airy and full of character. It is a variety that looks delicate from a distance but reveals real richness when you get close.

Starlight grows to around 45 to 60 cm and produces neat round heads that sit just above the surrounding perennials. The cool lilac tones blend effortlessly with pinks, purples and fresh greens, and they work especially well in mixed borders where softer colours are wanted. Many gardeners use Starlight to bring calm and refinement to planting schemes that already contain bolder alliums or early summer perennials.

Bees love this variety. The open star shaped florets provide easy access for pollinators and the flowerheads stay attractive long after the first colour fades. The seed heads dry naturally and hold their shape which adds structure into early summer.

Starlight is easy to grow. Plant the bulbs in autumn in well drained soil in full sun or light shade. Once planted they need very little attention and will return each year. Alliums are rarely troubled by pests which makes them one of the most reliable additions to a spring and early summer planting scheme.

If you want an allium with a gentler colour palette and a more refined look than the classic purple types, Allium Starlight is an excellent choice. It brings soft lilac light into the border, matches beautifully with other spring flowers and adds texture and elegance to any planting design.

A graceful allium that earns its place in every garden.

• Density: 5 per square foot
• Flowering Height: About 65 to 75 centimetres
• Flowering Time: From late spring to early summer
• Fragrant: Yes
• Naturalising: Yes
• Planting Depth: About 13 centimetres
• Sunlight: Full sun or partial shade
• Shipping starts early October
• Plant in October or November
• Local dispatch from London