Bubble Bath carries soft lilac-purple, 3-inch flower clusters on strong stems above a mound of glaucous blue-green leaves. The blooms are lighter in color and larger than many summer alliums, arriving in late summer into early fall.
Unlike spring bulb alliums, this clump-forming type blooms in summer and keeps attractive foliage through fall. At 26 to 28 inches tall, it suits borders, rock and herb gardens and containers. Butterflies and bees love the nectar, and deer and rabbits steer clear.
What it looks like
Rounded flower clusters about 3 inches across made of many tiny starry florets in soft lilac-purple, held on strong, upright green stems above the leaves. Leaves are wide, linear, glaucous blue-green straps with a slight twist, forming a dense, rounded mound. The plant is 26 to 28 inches tall in bloom and 24 to 26 inches wide. At peak bloom a cloud of soft purple spheres floats over the blue-green mound.
Growing it with lavender
Bubble Bath enjoys the same sunny, well-drained conditions as lavender, and its soft purple globes and blue-green leaves blend beautifully with lavender while bringing fresh color in late summer.
Care
Grow in full sun to part shade in lean to average, well-drained soil; it handles drought once established. Hardy in USDA zones 4-8. Trim off any tired foliage in fall or early spring; clumps can be divided in spring every few years.
At a glance
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Botanical name: Allium
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Flower color: Soft lilac-purple
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Foliage: Glaucous blue-green
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Growth habit: Rounded, mounding clump
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Mature size: 26–28 in tall × 24–26 in wide
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USDA hardiness zones: 4–8
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Light: full sun, part sun to part shade
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Bloom start: Early-August
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Peak bloom: Mid-August
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Bloom pattern: Single Flush
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Deer resistance: Resistant
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Pollinator value: Excellent
Sizes and shipping
Dormant bare-root plant, sold in boxes of 25 per variety (order in multiples of 25). Bare-root plants ship or are picked up March 1–May 31 only. They are soil-free, so they may ship to every state in that window. Dormant plants often show little or no top growth on arrival; plant or heel them in promptly.