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Why do some alliums have two heads?

WAMSWAMS Posts: 1,960
in Plants
Stupid question time. I have had alliums for a few years, and they come back but have had only one flower head per plant. One variety was Purple Drummer, but I forget the other.

This winter, we added Purple Sensation and Purple Rain- higgledy piggledy- and quite a few of them have two flower stalks on them.

Is this just because it's a different variety, are the bulbs bigger, or is there some other reason?

Posts

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    Some alliums (eg garlic) are prone to splitting into cloves if they get a cold spell during the growing period … perhaps it’s a genetic trait which is present in all alliums to a greater or lesser degree … and then each clove would be capable of producing a flower spike? 🤔  

    Im only just awake and haven’t had my coffee yet … so I may be talking nonsense 😵‍💫 hopefully someone will put me right if I am 🥱 ☕️ 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • WAMSWAMS Posts: 1,960
    That sounds plausible, Dove! 

    Here's a clearer picture of a different one that isn't planted underneath a foxglove.




    This has occurred on about a fifth to a quarter of the newly-planted ones. I'm just curious because my previous alliums have behaved differently. I'm not complaining about more flowers!:)
  • EustaceEustace Posts: 2,290
    I think you bagged quite a few twins this year @WAMS 😉
    Oxford. The City of Dreaming Spires.
    And then my heart with pleasure fills,
    And dances with the daffodils (roses). Taking a bit of liberty with Wordsworth :)

  • Butterfly66Butterfly66 Posts: 970
    I’d be happy if mine had one head, no sign of any flowers yet 🙄
     If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.”—Marcus Tullius Cicero
    East facing, top of a hill clay-loam, cultivated for centuries (7 years by me). Birmingham
  • GardenerSuzeGardenerSuze Posts: 5,692
    @WAMS I have seen this before. You will have two flowers but not as tall.



    I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
  • rowlandscastle444rowlandscastle444 Posts: 2,612
    Butterfly66 said:
    I’d be happy if mine had one head, no sign of any flowers yet 🙄
    None on mine either. But they were newly planted last year.
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