Star of Persia is a Central Asian bulb in the onion family (Alliaceae). The Genus name is Latin for garlic The plant grows 1-2 feet tall and will form dense clumps over time. It tolerates summer drought but requires moisture during the growing season. Deadhead after flowering to control unwanted spread or leave the seedheads on for additional late-season interest. Plant the bulbs 12 inches apart and 5 inches deep in fall for spring blooms in well-drained soils in full sun to partial shade. The strap-like leathery leaves appear first in early spring then begin to wither as the flower stems appear in late spring. They are topped with large clusters of silvery lavender flowers and make great cut or dried flowers. Star of Persia has the largest flower cluster of all the ornamental onions. Use in the border, a rock garden, cottage garden, cutting garden, naturalized areas or containers. Received the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No significant problems. Bulb rot can occur in wet soils. VIDEO Created by Laura Barth for "Vegetables, Herbs, Fruits, and Nuts," a plant identification course developed in partnership with Longwood Gardens. More information on Allium .
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Available space
Less than 12 inches
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 0 ft. 6 in. - 2 ft. 0 in. | Width: 1 ft. 0 in. - 2 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (1-3 ft)
Form & Appearance
Texture
Medium
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Rosulate
Leaf shape
Linear
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf value
Fragrant
Leaf size
> 6 inches long, < 1 inch wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Flat strap-like leaves are up to 20 inches long and 1 inch wide in a basal rosette. Leaves begin to wither before bloom time. Have an onion or garlic smell when bruised.
Flower color
Gray/Silver; Purple/Lavender
Flower value
Good Cut; Good Dried
Flower form
Umbel
Flower shape
Star
Flower detail
Large cluster is 8-12 inches wide with many pale lavender flowers at the top of a naked stem in late spring to early summer.
Bloom time
Spring; Summer
Fruit color
Black; Brown/Copper
Fruit type
Capsule
Fruit detail
Capsule with black seeds
Stem color
Green
Stem detail
Smooth green leafless stems
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
Iran, Turkey and central Asia
Wildlife value
Attracts pollinators and songbirds.
Attracts
Pollinators; Songbirds
Food & Medicine
Edible parts
Stems
Harvest time
Fall; Summer
Fruit type
Capsule
Edibility
Bulbs and stems are edible raw or cooked. However, the plant also has poisonous characteristics as noted in the "Poisonous to Humans" section of this record. Toxicity can depend on the age of the person or animal, the age of the plant, the part of the plant ingested, how much is ingested, whether the person or animal has sensitivities or allergies, whether it's eaten raw or cooked, and so forth. Consult with a medical professional for further details.