Allium yuanum
10 seeds per packet.
Allium yuanum is an absolute treasure. It's a dwarf species, rare in cultivation and endemic to the forest margins and meadows of NW Sichuan in China. It produces flat, grassy foliage with a distinctive keel on the back and delicate, lilac-blue coloured umbels of nodding flowers. Height 20 to 25 cm. Flowering June to July. Well draining, humus rich soil that is kept slightly moist in sun to part shade.
GROWING INSTRUCTIONS:
Sow from autumn to early spring. Cover seed thinly, press in gently and keep top of compost from drying out. Keep pot outdoors or in cold frame over winter. Seeds germinate in spring.
Alternatively, if seeds can’t be sown in autumn or early spring use the following method: mix seeds with damp vermiculite and place inside a ziplock bag, keep bag somewhere warm for 3 weeks, then place in fridge (not freezer) for 8 weeks. Next spread mixture on top of a pot, thinly cover with compost or grit and keep warm at 15 to 20°C until germination, then move to somewhere cooler.
Carefully prick out seedlings when they have developed true leaves and are large enough to transplant to individual pots for growing on.