Deadheading Alliums Is Really Only Necessary To Prevent The Seeds Spreading
Elizabeth is a Permaculture Garden Designer, Sustainability Consultant and Professional Writer, working as an advocate for positive change. She graduated from the University of St. Andrews with an MA in English and Philosophy and obtained a Diploma in Applied Permaculture Design from the Permaculture Association.
Reviewed By COLIN SKELLY
Colin is a Horticulturist and Horticultural Consultant with experience in a range of practical and managerial roles across heritage, commercial and public horticulture. He holds the Royal Horticultural Society’s Master of Horticulture award and has a particular interest in horticultural ecology and naturalistic planting for habitat and climate resilience.
IN THIS GUIDE
Alliums planted for ornamental purposes are also useful for bringing in beneficial wildlife and managing pests in an organic garden.
Of course, many members of the Allium family are also common culinary crops.
If you choose the right location and care for them correctly, Alliums can reward you in more ways than simply aesthetically.
One question that you might have when growing Alliums for ornamental reasons is whether or not deadheading is required; you might also have questions about removing flowers from edible crops.
We explore each of these topics in this guide.
| Difficulty | Easy |
| Equipment Required | Secateurs |
| When To Deadhead | Autumn (after flowering) |
Do You Need To Deadhead Alliums?
You don’t need to deadhead Alliums at all.
There is not really any benefit for the plants and the only reason that you might do so is for personal preference.
If you like a very neat and tidy garden and don’t find Allium seed heads attractive, then you may simply decide to get rid of them for aesthetic reasons once they fade.
When To Remove Allium Flowers
In the case of certain Alliums (those grown for edible bulbs), you may actually have removed flowers before they fade.
Edible Allium flowers are often removed in order to allow the plants to focus on creating the bulb rather than on seed production.
An interesting side note is that the flowers are edible too, so you can harvest them for use in salads or as a garnish rather than just removing them.
Of course, if you have already removed the flowers from Allium plants then you will not need to think about deadheading.
Deadheading For Aesthetic Reasons
If you do not like the appearance of faded Allium flowers, you can choose to remove these by simply cutting off the stalk on which they grow as close to the base as possible.
You can also deadhead if you would prefer not to allow the plants to go to seed.
Just make sure that you do not remove any of the foliage before this has naturally started to die back, as doing so can weaken the plant.
When To Not Deadhead
Personally, I would not recommend deadheading.
Like many other gardeners, I find the faded flowers on Alliums extremely ornamental and attractive in their own right, giving a far more long-lasting display than the flowers themselves.
“I grow ornamental Alliums partly for the attractive, often long-lasting, structure provided by the seedheads,” shares Colin Skelly, a Master Horticulturist.
“However, for some of the smaller, spreading species, you may wish to remove seed heads to limit the spread.”
If you want to create a wildlife-friendly garden, it is definitely also worth mentioning that deadheading is not the best idea.
Birds and other wildlife can benefit if you decide to leave the Allium flowers in place for seeds to form.
So, if you prioritise nature over aesthetics, even if you personally don’t love the look of the spent flowers, I would say it is better to leave them in place.
Of course, you should also avoid deadheading Alliums if you want the flowers to produce seeds.
If you want to collect the seeds to sow or wish to allow the plants to self-seed in your garden, then deadheading is again something that you should forgo when it comes to these plants.