Lavender Bubbles is a low, spreading ornamental onion with dark, dusty purple flower globes that appear near the end of summer. It blooms later and in a deeper shade of purple than many other summer alliums, bringing fresh color as the season winds down.
The glaucous blue-green leaves twist and curl, giving the clump interesting texture all season. At only 12 to 14 inches tall, it suits edging, rock gardens and containers. It is carefree, not known to reseed, typically pest free, and deer and rabbits leave it alone. It has won horticultural awards in Europe.
What it looks like
Round flower globes 1.5 to 2 inches across made of many tiny starry florets in dark, dusty purple, held on short, upright stems just above the foliage. Leaves are narrow, glaucous blue-green blades that twist and curl, forming a low, spreading tuft. The plant is 12 to 14 inches tall and 20 to 22 inches wide. At peak bloom the low blue-green mound is dotted with many dusky purple balls.
Growing it with lavender
Lavender Bubbles grows happily in the same lean, well-drained, sunny spots as lavender, and its dusky purple globes make a low, late-blooming edge in front of lavender after its main flush.
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: Dark dusty purple
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Foliage: Glaucous blue-green
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Growth habit: Low, spreading tuft
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Mature size: 12–14 in tall × 20–22 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: Mid-August
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Peak bloom: Late-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.