Allium senescens subsp. montanum

Allium senescens subsp. montanum, also known as Mountain Garlic, is a beautiful wild plant that resembles chives. This perennial ground cover forms a tuft of gramineous and curiously undulating foliage, with a beautiful glaucous colour. From early summer to September, it produces a large number of flower clusters in bubble-gum pink, as big as ping-pong balls. Its foliage is evergreen depending on the severity of the winter. It is edible and tasty, making it suitable as a condiment. Hardy and tolerant to summer drought, it is a unique plant for rockeries and sunny borders.

Allium senescens subsp. montanum is a rhizomatous perennial bulbous plant. It is native to forests, dry rocky slopes, steppes, saline meadows, and gravelly soils in Western Europe and Northern Asia, from Siberia to China and Korea. This botanical garlic from the Amaryllidaceae family has a fleshy storage organ that multiplies by forming bulblets, allowing the plant to spread over the years. It shares with other members of its family a noticeable onion or garlic smell when its foliage is crushed. The inflorescences, perched up to 35cm (14in) tall, are round umbels measuring 2.5 to 3cm (1in) in diameter, composed of tiny light pink-lilac star-shaped flowers. This flowering lasts for about 4 months if the soil remains moist. The deciduous foliage consists of numerous thick, long, and flat leaves, with a beautiful bluish-green colour, showing a curious twist due to their curled tips.

Be careful! If it likes its environment, this plant quickly spreads!

Easy to grow and unique, mountain garlic thrives in any type of moist but well-drained soil during its growing season. It prefers dry soil in summer. Place it in a sunny location. It can be used in a wild-style garden or a dry garden, along a path or driveway. It also works well in a pot to enjoy its beautiful flowering and delicious foliage on a balcony or patio. Its foliage and flowers will add a unique touch to fresh or dried bouquets. Plant it in groups of 5, nestled among ornamental grasses, perennials like scabious or Lychnis coronaria, or near coreopsis and thrift. Finally, in the kitchen, finely chop its foliage and add it to salads, grilled dishes, or fresh goat's cheese.