Allium Lenkoranicum

Named for Lenkoran on the Caspian Sea, Allium lenkoranicum is a rare endemic of the Talysh Mountains in Azerbaijan and northern Iran. Long, thread-like leaves surround summer stems carrying large but delicate umbels of outward-facing bells. Their subtle colouring shifts from light buff and pale lilac to rose, with each tepal marked by a darker lilac or maroon stripe. The restrained palette gives the flowers an unusually sophisticated appearance. Compact enough for a rock garden yet distinctive in a border, it prefers full sun, good soil and excellent drainage.