| blue-of-the-heavens Лук голубой 棱叶薤 leng ye xie | |
|---|---|
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| 1847 illustration[1] | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Order: | Asparagales |
| Family: | Amaryllidaceae |
| Subfamily: | Allioideae |
| Genus: | Allium |
| Subgenus: | A.subg. Allium |
| Species: | A. caeruleum |
| Binomial name | |
| Allium caeruleum | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
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Allium caeruleum (blue globe onion,blue ornamental onion,blue-of-the-heavens,blue-flowered garlic;syn.Allium azureum Ledeb.) is an ornamentalbulbous plant of the oniongenus,native to Central Asia (Kazakhstan,Kyrgyzstan,Siberia,Tajikistan,Uzbekistan, andXinjiang).[3][4][5] In these regions, it is found on dry slopes, plains, and steppes.[6]
This plant is cited in theFlore des Serres et des Jardins de l'Europe puis L'illustration horticole byCharles Antoine Lemaire. It grows to 80 cm (31"), producing strap-shaped leaves and small globes (umbels) of blue flowers in early summer. The one-inch wide globular flower heads attract butterflies.[7] The plant has been granted the BritishRoyal Horticultural Society'sAward of Garden Merit (1993).[8]
A. caeruleum thrives in well-drained soil in full to partial sun.[9] It is deer-resistant and suitable forUSDA hardiness zones 4–8.[6]
