This is an amazing perennial that should be easily called pollinator of the year! Bees and butterflies love this plant! And please don’t refrain from using this plant because it attracts bees. That’s a good thing!
- It doesn’t attract bees. The bees are already there, around your house, they are attracted to this plant.
- When you put a plant like this in your yard the bees can do the job that they were put on this earth to do. Pollinate other plants!
I have three of these in my landscape at home and I am completely dumbfounded by the number of bees on these plants at any given time. And the bees are harmless!
Don’t believe me about these being a great pollinator do you? Just watch the movie my friend!
These three plants are right next to our front porch. On any given day they are loaded with bees. All kinds of different bees! The bees are so interested in harvesting the nectar from these blooms they are oblivious to us sitting near by. Even when I ride by on the lawn mower the bees just keep on working as if I’m not even there.
‘Millenium’ Ornamental Onion is super hardy member of the Allium family. These perennials over winter perfectly in containers in the nursery and they are one of the first plants to wake up in the spring. This is really a great seller for us.
They do fine in full sun but do equally well in partial shade.
They are hardy in zones 4 through 8.
The plants grow to a height of about 20″ high and 18″ wide.
They are an earth friendly welcome addition to any landscape.
Propagating Ornamental Onion
I dug up two clumps of these ornamental onions to propagate via division. They are very easy to divide. All I do is knock off as much of the soil as I can then start pulling them apart. From two clumps like the one you see in the above photo I got about 140 plants that will be ready to sell in a month or two.
Questions, comments, mean things to say? Post them below and I will respond.
Until then, by any and all means stay inspired!
I like that Alliums don’t appeal to deer and rabbits, as I have many of these rascals treating my gardens as a free buffet…lol. Do be aware, though, that at least 50% of those beautiful flowers end up with viable seeds. If you don’t trim bloom stalks off as soon as the blooms fade and seeds ripen, watch out for self seeding. I haven’t met an Allium yet that does NOT self sow….some rampantly while others, like this one, to a lesser degree but WILL do so.
Thanks for your insight Leona. For those that like to leave seed heads in place for birds to eat in the winter, just know that when allium reseed, they are easy to pull out in the spring when weeding and cleaning up beds. They really are a beautiful perennial!!!
These are beautiful! I would like to purchase three of these. How can I ?
Suzanne,
If you live in the area I will have them available in a few weeks. If not you’ll have to look around or order them online, I don’t ship plants at this time.
I have seven Millennium Onion plants. They were purchased from a local nursery/garden center. They wee beautiful for the summer and into the early fall. We (Kansas City area) are now in the middle of winter with temperatures in the single digits. The green leaves are are now laying over onto the ground, Should they be a) tied up around some vertical structure or b) trimmed back to the base? It has been very dry this fall. Should they be watered? Current daytime temperatures have warmed to 50 degrees F.
Rod,
they should be fine, just cut off all of those leaves. They are very hardy.
I thought the leaves should be left on, while green, to provide for the roots/ bulbs?
Am I wrong?
Kamkam,
The leaves should be left on until at least the end of the season then cut them back.
Hi Mike,
When searching for patent info on this plant I seen you weren’t sure about the patent status. I came across this & thought you might be interested: https://patents.justia.com/patent/PP31126
“SUMMARY OF THE PLANT
Allium ‘Lavender Bubbles’ differs from its parents as well as all other ornamental onion known to the applicant. The most similar known Allium cultivars are ‘Medusa’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 28,701, ‘Blue Eddy’ (not patented), Allium tanguticum ‘Summer Beauty’ (not patented), and ‘Millenium’ (not patented).”…
Thanks Lance for sharing this info.
When is the best time to transplant these in zone 6B?
Alice,
Right now, winter or early spring would be perfect.
Even the German wasp that looks like bees don’t like to sting I but get rid of them. !!! They bore holes in wood siding of houses etc Will nest and might even bore holes in your walls and come inside your house!!
They sleep at night! So the exterminator came at 5am to get rid of them.
Another in a garage infestation came in the day. Because they don’t sting readily. ! They do make holes in your siding!!!
My son had a non killer concoction He had found another site but not sure what it was!
There is another type that make nests in the ground. They love your mulching. BUT don’t go barefoot! They sting! So so wasps. And it hurts!
Probably wood bees. Great pollinators. Leave them.be.
I have several planted in my garden. They look great planted in large groupings. They do not smell and the bees love them. Deer proof and drought tolerant. It is an easy plant to grow. It’s a fantastic plant!
Do you have any for sale?
Mike,
Are these anything like Garlic Chives? The bees love them but the honey in my hives does not taste like garlic!
I have no idea.
Great site Mike, will these onions steal my pollinators away from my fruit trees and shrubs? I’d hate to lose my food crops over an ornamental plant of no culinary use, I’d rather attract many more pollinators for my food crops. Will it help pollinate other plants if these onions are in the vicinity, or will the bees say heck with my food crops, we’ll stick with the onion. [Hudson & Landry: Ajax Airline]
Are these onions any good for attracting parasitic wasps? Here in Wisconsin the Deer Flies are terrible, I am looking for something to get rid of them before they are born. I am tired of wearing a blue plastic hat coated in Tanglefoot, although it looks cool!
Bert,
They bloom at a different time than your fruit trees so that shouldn’t be a problem. Not sure about the wasps, I’ve never seen a wasp on them.
Bert,
You shouldn’t have a problem at all. As long as you have your vegetables and your shrubs, you will have your pollinators. Another thing that I do is when I plant my tomatoes, i plant marigolds in with them, they attract lots of pollinators and also help to ward off nematodes. 🙂 Bert, I have a friend that lives in Wisconsin, I can ask him about your deer flies…. HE is an ecologist and entomologist! 🙂
deer flies breed in manure piles,cover the manure piles with dirt and it reduces horse flies and deer flies because they can’t lay their eggs in the manure.
i have used fly predators but covering the manure with dirt or spreading it out across a pasture works best
Mansour
Hello, first of all, I would like to thank you for the useful information you provide to us. Please provide us with information on how to plant walnut seeds. Thanks.
Hi and thank you for all the info! Do they have an unpleasant odor like society garlic?
Sandra,
The only time I smell them is when we cut them back at the end of the season.
I live in NC and I was wondering where I could buy some of these plants? Also, can I propagate them? Thanks.
Keith,
Probably easiest to find them online somewhere. In the members area, http://backyardgrowers.com/join, we have sources where members can buy them for just a few dollars each. Propagation is best by division, I don’t see any patent on them, but watch for that as you search for them.
I want these. Is there a technical name to look for? Bulbs or seeds? Are they edible onions? I love bees and some indeed are friendly. I poked my head in the branches of my almond tree in bloom while bees worked the flowers next to my face , never paying me any mind. However, I had an experience with African bees living in my wall in Phoenix. I don’t know if they are a thing in Ohio, but they deserve their reputation for meanness and they WILL chase you. They chased me into the house and got me a couple times on the way. African bees are easily identified. You will have no doubt when they chase you. Regular bees won’t do that. .
Just search the plant name and you’ll find them.
Where can I find these? I live in Northeast Oklahoma and would really like to have some of these.
like to get some
Hi Mike!
Thank you for all of your hard work! ive learned so much from you 🙂
I love the look of these flowers! I must ask tho..
Do they smell oniony?
Id love to grow them for bouquets..
also.. lol.. id hate to have my bee hive honey ..onion smelling 😉
(if that’s possible..lol)
Thank you!
Linda
Linda,
you only smell the onion when you cut the foliage.
I haven’t seen these grown in Utah. Do they need more than average water? Acidic soil? How long do they bloom? Do you propagate these with divisions?
Thanks for the great article! The photos really made it!
Average amount of water, normal soil, they bloom for several weeks and are propagated by division.
Yes, easy to spit even for a beginner! I have some in a couple of 6ft cedar containers. I’ve split them 2 or 3 times to fill up the containers when other plants die off. I’ve given some to neighbors as well. I’m also in the camp of growing pollinator plants. Anise Hyssop is another plant bees love.
These are beautiful, where can I get them? I have pollinators and butterfly gardens! Mike, are you familiar with ornamental oregano? If so, do these also attract pollinators?
Thank you so much! ☺
Thank you for letting me in on this beautiful ornamental onion ‘Millenium”. Where can I purchase some of these? I live in an area that has lots of bees. Many kinds, and the wildflowers in the fields, nearby keep them busy. I would like to have more visiting my yard and I think that these are the ones. I would like to add these in. Thank you for all of the great articles and your wealth of knowledge.
Victoria
I think I remember these ornamental onions at work. They bloomed beautifully, but they had a strong onion smell! Not exactly enjoyable to walk by!!
These are not like that. They are very close to our porch and I don’t smell them at all.
Where do I buy a Millenium Ornamental Onion? I have never seen one for sale.
Do you sell these? I can’t seem to find them from the online growers I have been ordering with. Thx
Brenda,
I sell them locally, I do not ship plants.
Mike, is there a company that you know that sells these? I want to make sure that it is a reputable company, one that has good quality plants.
Thank you for your help! 🙂
Marlene,
In our members area, http://backyardgrowers.com/join, we have a number of wholesale sources who sell these and all kinds of other perennials for around $2.00 each. But I can’t share wholesale sources here. When shopping for plants online always check the company you are considering here: This site reviews all kinds of garden related websites. https://davesgarden.com/products/gwd/
Where can I order these for next year? I live in NH.
Do the Millennium Ornamental Onion plants self propagate/spread? I see yours look pretty large in diameter. Also, must they be brought indoors for the winter in the Washington, DC area, or can they simply be left in the ground like daffodils?
Thanks,
Bob
Mine do not re-seed and they are very hardy in Ohio.
Nice and reasonable comments about beneficial insects. I love them!
How do you propagate ornamental onion?
Division.
Hi Mike, these plants are zoned 4 to 8. Why do you over winter these perennials in containers in the nursery? They should be able to go through the winter even left outside?
I just leave them right where they are all winter uncovered.
Any way Millenium Ornamental Onion’ could live in zone 9? It’s so beautiful!
Christy,
All you can do is try.
These Alliums are also great when planted next to perennials, such as Hostas or anything that deer and rodents enjoy eating. We “trialed” them this season planted next to Hostas, Raspberry & Blueberry patches, near planted bulbs (which were all eaten last season) and the rodents and deer stayed away due to the onion aroma as these plants are in the onion family.
Bees do love these Alliums as well as butterflies and hummingbirds. Purchased various types which will arrive this fall in order to expand the area where we will be planting more bulbs!
Do they become a problem like wild onions. Growing EVERYWHERE!?
Mine have not.
Do you sell these?
I only sell them locally, you can find them easily online.
Do you have a good source for these, Mike? Also, it’s great to hear of an allium that overwinters in pots, but I’m curious to know how and why other alliums don’t. Any idea? Thanks again for the great ideas!
Janet,
I have a great wholesale source for them, around $2.00 each I think. Ask me in the members area, http://backyardgrowers.com/join, and I’ll share with you where I get them at that price.
Will these Millenium Ornamental Onions plants complement Baby Gem Boxwoods. If so, I would be looking for 35 of them.
I’m sure they would.
Hey Mike
Where can you get them???
where can i get this prennal onion plant and can i plant late in the season now thanks
Interesting these ornamental onions.
Are these onions edible?
Will they survive our Canadian winters?
Edible? I don’t know but they are very tough here in Ohio zone 5.
Hope they are deer proof
and shade tolerant
‘Millenium’ ornamental onion is a Proven Winners plant. Can they be propagated for resale? I thought PW plants were protected from from retail sales unless bought wholesale from PW. What’s the scoop, Mike. I don’t want a big fine!
Thanks,
Anne
Anne,
Looking at the proven winners site I see no mention of a patent or trademark on them. But that’s all I know. I don’t propagate them, I buy small plugs for about $2.00 each from a reputable wholesale grower.
How or where can I buy 3 of these?
Hi Mike,
I was wondering if you have ever split this Allium to create more plants?
Thanks
Lisa
Lisa,
I’m sure you can, I never have.
I”m not an expert gardener, but I have split mine 2 or 3 times with success using the “by guess and by golly” method. It’s not rocket science, and the split plants always survived.
I could only find 1 pot of these at my nursery. I divided into 3 and they are all thriving.
Love these and have them too. I can’t imagine why anyone would be afraid of bees. They only sting if threatened, I love them and am often fishing them out of bird baths. They need a drink but can’t swim. Please put a few leaves or sticks or something floating in your birdbath so they don’t drown and folks, please teach your kids and grandkids to love and respect them. If we don’t have bees, we will all starve – for real. Wasps are also good guys and pollinate too. I never have a problem with them either. Thanks Mike for making folks aware of the importance of bees and that they should not be feared.
Me too Heather. I love bees. One of my most enjoyable gardening moments is getting my face into blooming fruit and nut trees to watch bees work the flowers up close. I,m careful not to disturb them though. If you think they are all friendly, be aware of Africanized bees. Commonly called killer bees for good reason. They can and do kill people and animals that disturb their hive. Love them respectfully. Each sting has a bit of poison in it and a thousand stings can be fatal. My only experience with K/Bs was in Phoenix, AZ. I never heard of them up north.
The. Venom in any feared creature is an allergic reaction not a poison. Vit c will stop the reaction. Too much C will cause diarrhea. I took 30,000 mg after a spider bite with no reaction nor diarrhea
I supposed that if you need it you won’t get diarrhea. But better that than necrosis from the bite!!’
Love these and have them too. I can’t imagine why anyone would be afraid of bees. They only sting if threatened, I love them and am often fishing them out of bird baths. They need a drink but can’t swim. Please put a few leaves or stocks or something floating in your birdbath so they don’t drown and folks, please teach your kids and grandkids to love and respect them. If we don’t have bees, we will all starve – for real. Wasps are also good guys and pollinate too. I never have a problem with them either. Thanks Mike for making folks aware of the importance of bees and that they should not be feared.
Love these and have them too. I can’t imagine why anyone would be afraid of bees. They only sting if threatened, I love them and am often fishing them out of bird baths. They need a drink but can’t skim. Please put a few leaves or stocks or something floating in your birdbath so they don’t drown and folks, please teach your kids and grandkids to love and respect them. If we don’t have bees, we will all starve – for real. Wasps are also good guys and pollinate too. I never have a problem with them either. Thanks Mike for making folks aware of the importance of bees and that they should not be feared.
Absolutely beautiful
What zones does this plant thrive in
Hey Mike, You forgot to add it was the 2018 Perennial Plant of the Year, it’s drought tolerant, deer resistant, and easy to propagate by bulb division every few years!
How long does the “Millennium Ornamental Onion” plant stay in bloom?
At least 3 weeks, probably longer.
So where can we get the ‘Millenium’ Ornamental Onion?
Jim,
You can find them online, our members, http://backyardgrowers.com/join, buy them wholesale for about $2.00 each.
Sounds wonderful but I am in zone 10.
THE BEES ARE TOO BUSY DOING WHAT THEY NEED TO DO TO LVE THEY WON’T BOTHER YOU UNLESS YOU REALLY MESS WITH THEM
Are they edible?
Hi Mike, these plants are great and loaded with bees and butterflies. These are not pateneted right – how to propagate? Thanks.
Josh,
By division.
Mike
I purchased a Millennium Ornamental 4 years ago ..2 years ago in Autumn I split the plant ..now have 2 gorgeous plants ..
Going to split both this Autumn!
The bees defiantly love this plant ..love watching them ! Pollinate on Bees! 🐝