Where are you located (nearest big city & state)? It makes a difference with alliums - for me in heavy clay soil with abundant rainfall they disappear after a year or two. Allium Millennium and garlic chives do great here but not the large flowered guys. A couple of years ago we happened to be visiting the Norfolk Botanical Garden on the June day when they pulled out the large flowered alliums - they grow them as annuals like tulips and discard the bulbs since they don't overwinter well here.

I plant them nearby but not on top of the alliums, Of course they may spread there on their own:)

I can't believe I forgot to say where I was! Zone 6, Morris County, New Jersey. My soil is moderate clay but very rocky. Drainage isn't terrible but for plants that need very sharp drainage (lavender, penstemon, etc), I'll throw pea gravel in the bottom of the planting hole and mix a little sand in.

Hey @a2zmom_Z6_NJ, it has been my experience that the 'biggies' such as Ambassador and Giganteum do not (readily?) spread. (But for sure "Purple Sensation" and "Mount Everest" and "Christophii" (and the worst is "Hair" Allium) are self seeders)

Do you find they self seed as much as, say, garlic chives? I've had enough of the big guys that I don't find any tendency to reproduce a problem. They are very easy to pull out. I think"Hair" is cool. Sometimes I just pull and replant it in boring place to introduce an unexpected "hairy" element.

Add to say I absolutely do not believe claims about sterility. Lil' Kim hibiscus has seeded and I've found a stray onion shoot near Millenium. I don't consider 2 or 3 hibiscus seedlings over several years evidence of false advertising , (other 'non-sterile' hibiscus produce hundreds and hundreds of seedlings) but I'm saying keep an eye on your plants.

I've had some large purple Allium for years and they spread like garlic chives. I haven't allowed them to bloom for years, and they are almost comepletely eradicated. I'm much more interested in the wild, native lilies these days.

I think "Hair" is cool

I mention "Hair" only because an experienced gardening friend 'rages' against the self seeding of this particular allium.

(lovely pics @Jay 6a Chicago)

Rouge, ok ok! do you know what zone shes in? maybe her soils better? Im pretty sure Hair has lightly seeded about but not enough to bother me.

As far as the large purple ones unless we know which variety we may be talking apples and oranges. personally none of my ambassador or similar have reproduced like chives, which are indeed prolific.

Despite whatever is advertised it seems plants do what they are going to do and theres variability.

(SHe is in the same zone as myself...a very large area that she has transformed into gorgeous gardens.)

I agree @Marie Tulin Boston burbs z 6a i.e. I'm sure that my large (expensive ;)) alliums e.g. giganteum/ambassador do not self seed.

yes, and the bulbs would be a lot cheaper if they did reproduce rampantly

marie

Jay, I'm interested in your lilies. Maybe you could start another thread cause I think we were on geraniums here. And 'wild lilies' are too important to be buried here.Are your lilies or some of them martignons?

I ordered martignons one season and they took a year or two to even come up.

I was mystified about what they were.

Then I was entranced.

When I tried to order last year they had a crop failure then it was too late to order elsewhe