Drumstick is a bulbous herb that flowers in late spring to early summer and lasts 3-4 weeks. The plant is 30-40 inches tall with a small, densely packed umbel of small flowers. It tolerates summer drought, but keep it moist during the growing season. The plant is normally not susceptible to mammals and has an onion/garlic type aroma. It is native to Eurasia. Spreads by offsets, seeds and bulblets. Plant 4-5 inches deep and 2-3 inches apart in well-drained soils in full sun to partial shade. Use in borders, rock gardens or scatter among your perennials. Click here to see a calendar of planting schedules, time-to-harvest, and recommended spacing. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Bulb rot can occur in too wet soil. Bulb mites can occur. VIDEO Created by Elisabeth Meyer for "Edibles, Bulbs, and Houseplants," 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)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Sand; Shallow Rocky
Soil pH
Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist | Occasionally Dry
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Form & Appearance
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
Round, hollow, grassy, gray-green leaves up to 14" long form a foliage clump in spring. The plant smells of garlic or onion.
Flower color
Purple/Lavender; Red/Burgundy
Flower value
Fragrant; Good Cut; Good Dried
Flower form
Umbel
Flower shape
Star
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Flowers emerge green and mature to reddish-purple in a 1 inch wide umbel that opens top to bottom and resembles clover flowers. The flowering period is from very late spring to early summer for 3-4 weeks. Flowers are small, 6-parted, and in a cluster at the top of a naked stem. The plant smells of garlic or onion. Bulblets sometimes form after flowering.
Bloom time
Spring; Summer
Fruit type
Capsule
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
Europe, northern Africa, western Asia
Wildlife value
Deer and rabbit resistive
Food & Medicine
Edible parts
Flowers; Stems
Fruit type
Capsule
Edibility
Flowers, stems bulbs are edible. 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.