Allium is a genus of plants in the amaryllis family. Most cultivation is centered around food crops (the genus includes the common onion, garlic, scallions, leeks, shallots and chives), but there are a few species that are grown as ornamentals. All of the ornamental species have composite flowers called umbels, which consist of a large number of small flower stalks radiating in all directions from a central point, producing a globe-shaped flower head. Their most frequent colors are purple and blue.
