Allium

Allium is the flowering monocotyledonous plants genus that includes the leek, shallot, scallion, chives, garlic and of course onion as well as a plethora of wild varieties. Though Allium is taken from the word for garlic in Latin; some other sources refer to the Greek word for 'to avoid' in reference to garlic's pungent odour. The fact that parts of Allium are used in food around the world is largely thanks to the fact that each Allium plant has very different textures and flavours. There are more or less 12 species throughout the world that are important economically as garden vegetables. The majority of Allium species originate in countries where there are moderate temperatures in the northern hemisphere; though some specific species are found in tropical Africa, Brazil and Chile. Allium species vary in height and can be as short as 5 cm or as tall as 150 cm. In all varieties though, the flowers are formed in an umbel shape on top of the leafless stalk. In most species the flowers are erect, while in others they are pendent and have six petals in two whorls. Astra Fund has a wide variety of wholesale flower bulbs, including Allium. Whether you are wanting to purchase them for ornamental purposes or for your kitchen garden.