Globemaster Ornamental Onion (Allium 'Globemaster')
AL-lee-um 'Globemaster'

Deciduous Perennial Upright in the Amaryllidaceae Family
A sterile giant hybrid onion with massive 6-10 inch lavender-purple globes on sturdy stems, blooming for weeks without setting seed.

'Globemaster' is a sterile hybrid ornamental onion (Allium christophii × A. macleanii) bred by Dutch grower Jan Bijl in 1971. It produces some of the largest flower globes of any garden allium — dense, 6 to 10 inch spheres of hundreds of small star-shaped, deep lavender-purple florets held on sturdy, leafless stems above strappy basal foliage. Because the cross is sterile and sets no seed, individual florets continue opening in succession for several weeks, giving 'Globemaster' an unusually long bloom period for an ornamental onion. Its foliage tends to fade before and during bloom, so it is best planted behind later-emerging perennials that can hide it.

Pros

  • Extra-large, long-lasting flower globes
  • Sterile — no self-seeding to manage
  • Excellent for fresh cut and dried arrangements
  • Deer and rabbit resistant
  • Attracts butterflies and other pollinators

Cons

  • Foliage yellows and fades before or during bloom
  • Bulbs can rot in poorly-drained or overly wet soil
  • Occasional thrips, mildew, or rust
 

Plant Data

Mature Size 24 - 48 inches tall. 12 - 24 inches wide.
Growth Rate Moderate
Sun Exposure Full Sun - Full Sun
Moisture Tolerance Dry - Medium
Zones 5a - 8b (Usually hardy to -20° F)
Tags Attracts Butterflies, Attracts Pollinators, Bulbs for Fall Planting, Container, Deciduous, Deer Resistant, Disease Resistant, Drought Tolerant, Dry, Extended Bloom Time, Fragrant Flowers, Fragrant Foliage, Full Sun, Full Sun, Good for Borders, Good for Butterfly Garden, Good for Cottage Garden, Good for Cut Flowers, Good for Mass Planting, Low Maintenance, Medium, Most Popular, Naturalizing, Non-Allergenic, Normal Soil, Ornamental, Perennial, Potentially Toxic, Rabbit Resistant, Showy Flowers, Tolerant of Clay Soil, Tolerant of Loamy Soil, Tolerant of Poor Soil, Tolerant of Sandy Soil, Well-Drained Soil
Bloom Period May-June
Flower Color Deep Lavender
Foliage Color Gray-Green
 

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Silver Anouk French Lavender, Enchantment Toadflax, Flashlights Golden Millet Grass, Sweet 16 Primula, Mache Rose Persian Buttercup, Artemis Silver Sage, Frizzle Sizzle Mini Purple Shades Pansy,
 
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Pricing and Availability History

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Field-Grown vs. Greenhouse-Grown Plants

Plants which are well-adapted to our local climate are most often field-grown (outside). Field-grown plants are generally cheaper and have the advantage of already somewhat acclimated to our cold winters, but that means they’re not artificially far along in the spring and tend to bloom at the normal time in our area.

Spring annuals and tender perennials are typically grown in Greenhouses so they can be ready and luxurious exactly when customers want them. Some perennials are also “forced” into early bloom in greenhouses. In May, there can be a very big difference between field-grown and greenhouse-grown plants of the same type. The latter typically look good right away (so they’re a great choice where that’s important), but we typically pay a premium for it.


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No Pricing or Availability Right Now

We order from a rotating cast of the best nurseries in the Great Lakes region. It looks like we've offered this plant in the past, but the nurseries we're working with this week don't appear to have it in stock at the moment.

Our goal is to bring as many plants together under "one roof" as possible, so we'll try hard to make it available again in the future!