The #1 Plant to Give Your Yard a “Mass of Blooms” This Fall
Fall is nearly here, and in the gardening world, that means it’s time to begin planning which spring-blooming bulbs to plant. Tulips, daffodils, and crocuses are all popular choices, but Lauren Syrowik, a home decor and garden expert, says there’s a lesser-known plant everyone should incorporate into their landscaping come autumn. Beloved both for its beautiful blooms and easy maintenance, she says the best perennial plant is the Millenium allium, also known as ornamental onion.
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What is the Millenium allium?
Alliums are a plant genus with nearly 1,000 varieties that include edible plants such as garlic, onions, shallots, leeks, scallions, and chives. According to the Missouri Botanical Garden, Allium ‘Millenium’ is a bulb plant that does best in full sun with partial afternoon shade.
“Each bulb typically produces an upright foliage clump of slender, somewhat flattened, broad linear, grass-like, glossy deep green leaves…topped by a showy 2-inch spherical umbel of rose purple florets,” they describe. When the plant is bruised or crushed, you’ll get an onion-like smell.
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Why is Millenium allium the perfect fall perennial?
“You need this low-maintenance perennial in your garden,” Syrowik said in her Instagram post. “It creates a neat and tidy green hedge until mid-summer. Then it becomes a mass of purple blooms and a pollinator magnet!”
In fact, Syrowik isn’t the only one singing the plant’s praises: She notes that The Perennial Plant Association (PPA) selected Millenium allium as its 2018 perennial plant of the year.
Describing the delicate petals as “bright” and “rosy,” Syrowik says that Millenium allium should retain its color “from mid to late summer—when everything else is fading.” By contrast, most tulips, daffodils, and crocuses usually peak by mid-spring.
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The garden expert adds that Millenium allium has a number of other logistical benefits that make it an appealing choice. It attracts butterflies and bees, is deer resistant, and can survive moderate drought. Additionally, the plant requires minimal maintenance and displays a “neat and tidy clumping habit,” making its appearance predictable and reliable.
Millennium allium is also hybridized with fewer seeds than other types of allium, which solves many gardeners’ greatest complaint while planting it.
“Gardeners sometimes avoid planting alliums because of their unwanted reseeding behavior. Fortunately, ‘Millenium’ produces 50 percent fewer seeds, which raises less concern for unwanted self-seeding,” writes Purdue University’s consumer horticulture group. If you do choose to plant more, its fibrous root system makes it easy to propagate by division.
They add that this particular hybrid “is just about the perfect low-maintenance perennial for full sun. Once established, about the only maintenance it needs is cutting back foliage in late fall after the plants fade. This plant is hardy to USDA zones 4-9 (possibly zone 3), which makes it a great choice throughout the Midwest. No serious pest problems have been reported, though leaf spot may occur in overcrowded growing conditions with decreased air circulation.”
So, when you’re planning your spring garden this fall, don’t overlook this perennial and pollinator favorite. With gorgeous purple blooms and virtually fool-proof care instructions, Millennium allium is sure to enhance your garden year after year.