A number of the taller flowering or ornamental onions are used for cut flowers and everlastings. All of the alliums have a vase life of about a week. These are used as a mass flower, and make interesting everlastings. They generally begin blooming during late spring. Flowering onions are resistant to deer browsing.


Allium schubertii

This has huge, globe-like flower clusters in deep pink. It reaches almost 1½ feet in height. The clusters are 1¼ feet across. This bulb does well in zones four through nine. It needs full sun.


Drumstick allium

Also known as giant onion or giant garlic, this has gigantic globes of bright purple flowers. The flower heads reach four to five inches across. These clusters are so dense that a head can literally contain over a thousand individual florets. These open on tall stems, up to five feet in height.

Drumstick allium is hardy in zones four through nine. It prefers full sun, this is resistant to deer.


Hair ornamental onion

This is a variety of the drumstick flowering onion. This is bound to be one of the most unusual flower heads around, and makes a great cut flower. Opening in early summer, the flower clusters consist mostly of a two-inch wide reddish-purple globe from which greenish-yellow tendrils emerge from all angles. This creates a hair-like effect. The stems reach 1½ to two feet in height. It needs full sun, and is hardy in zones four through nine.


Lily leek

Also known as golden garlic and society garlic, this lovely ornamental onion blooms in June. The star-like blooms are golden yellow. They open in clusters up to three inches across. The stems grow to 1½ feet in height. This makes an excellent everlasting. It is hardy to zones two or three.


Naples onion

Among the earliest of the flowering onions, this starts flowering in early May. The flower stalks are usually about a foot tall. This makes an excellent everlasting. The scented white blooms open in round clusters that are up to three inches across. There is one variety with particularly large flower heads. This is somewhat more tender than some ornamental onions, best suited to zones seven through nine. It needs a moist soil.
Nodding onion

Opening in June and July, this grows to 1¼ feet tall. The stems bear huge clusters of bell-shaped flowers that dangle from the tops of the stems. These are deep pink. This is hardy in zones four through eight. It does well in partial shade and full sun. Nodding onion is native to some parts of the country.

Star of Persia

This has globe-like clusters that are up to a foot across. The star shaped flowers are lilac, reaching an inch in diameter. The flower stem grows to about 2½ feet tall. Opening in late June, this is hardy to zone four. It needs full sun.