Bulbous plant of the Amaryllidaceae family, widely spread in southern and central Europe, North Africa, and western Asia, where it grows in dry grasslands, vineyards, scrublands, and rocky limestone slopes.
Its umbel is strictly spherical, dense and compact, 3-5 cm in diameter, borne on a slender and upright stem of 50-80 cm — one of the most slender of the genus. The flowering, in July-August, is particularly late for a bulbous allium, making it a valuable relay in the succession of summer blooms. The flowers gradually change from green to pink-lilac and then to dark purple, often creating a bicolor effect on the same umbel at the beginning of flowering.
A plant for full sun and well-drained, even dry soil, it is perfectly suited to steppe or natural style gardens, flowering meadows, and airy borders. It combines remarkably with grasses, eryngiums, and other perennials of dry environments, and its dry stems remain decorative well after flowering.