• Image of Allium altaicum 'Bone Head' taken at Juniper Level Botanic Gdn, NC by Chris Hardison
    Juniper Level Botanic Gdn, NC by Chris Hardison

Allium altaicum 'Bone Head'

Bone Head Altai Onion

This plant is not currently for sale. This is an archive page preserved for informational use.

Shop Available Allium

Item #: 13792

Zones: 5b to 8b, at least

Dormancy: Evergreen

Height: 18" tall

Culture: Sun

Origin: Hybrid, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia

Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)


Thanks to Denver Botanic Garden horticulturist Mike Bone for collecting this amazingly ornamental onion from the Central Asian (Russia, Mongolia, and Kazakhstan) steppes. The 1.5' tall x 3' wide clumps are composed of widely inflated blue leaves and topped starting in early July with 30" tall stalks, each ending in a 2" ball of white flowers. This is both an attractive and curious attention-drawing plant that thrives in a dry, well-drained site. Many authorities think the edible Allium altaicum could be the progenitor of the commonly grown green bunching onion. A patch of these are sure to make you cry for joy.