Allium caesium | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Monocots |
Order: | Asparagales |
Family: | Amaryllidaceae |
Subfamily: | Allioideae |
Genus: | Allium |
Subgenus: | A. subg. Allium |
Species: | A. caesium
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Binomial name | |
Allium caesium Schrenk
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Synonyms[1] | |
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Allium caesium, light blue garlic, is a species of herbaceous perennial flowering plant native to central Asia (Xinjiang, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan). It grows in deserts and dry fields at elevations of 700–2,000 m (2,300–6,600 ft).[2]
Allium caesium is typically about 30–40 cm (12–16 in) tall, and grows best in full sun to partial shade.[3] It produces round bulbs up to 15 mm across. The scapes are up to 65 cm (26 in) tall. The leaves are round in cross-section, and slightly shorter than the scapes. The flowers are sky-blue.[2][4][5] They typically appear in the summer (June to August in England) and attract pollinators such as bees and butterflies.[6] The Latin specific epithet caesium means "grey-blue".[7]
In cultivation in the UK, this plant has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.[8] In the US it is suitable for hardiness zones 4-7.[9]