Needlepoint is a compact, fine-textured ornamental onion with crisp, pure white flower clusters in late summer and early fall. Its thread-like leaves and small, refined blooms give it a clean, polished look.
Unlike chive-type alliums that can seed around, it stays well behaved and tidy. At 14 to 16 inches tall, it suits border fronts, rock gardens and mixed plantings, and pairs nicely with purple-flowered alliums. Butterflies and bees visit it, and deer and rabbits leave it alone.
What it looks like
Small, rounded flower clusters about 1 to 1.5 inches across of tiny starry florets in crisp, solid white, held on thin, upright stems above the foliage. Leaves are very narrow, thread-like and medium green, forming a fine-textured, tidy tuft. The plant is a compact clump 14 to 16 inches tall and 16 to 20 inches wide. At peak bloom the fine green tuft is dotted evenly with small white balls.
Growing it with lavender
Needlepoint likes the same sunny, well-drained soil as lavender, and its crisp white globes and fine leaves make a clean, bright edging in front of lavender 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: Crisp white
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Foliage: Medium green
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Growth habit: Compact, fine-textured tuft
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Mature size: 14–16 in tall × 16–20 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: Great
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.
Lavender companion · grow guide
Community Grower Report
