These came in an unidentified mixed bag from Home Depot a few years ago. Most bloomed but not these. I moved them to a sunnier spot last spring. I love them but would like to have their proper names. There are 3 and they aren't very tall. The flower ball is around 7" and smell like garlic when brushed.

My first guess would have been allium christophii but I have it and it's not short. Maybe the height was altered by moving it. You can look here http://www.johnscheepers.com/f... and see if anything is a closer match.

It looks like Allium Christophi. It's one of my favourites.

I think that's it. Thanks, Arlene.

And thanks to you, Debbie.

@zencat

Another name is Allium albopilosum. I have thousands and will probably have some at our auction and plant sale on July 31st in the Garden Clubs Center between Highland High School and Sugarhouse Park . I am digging as many out now as I can but leaving a bunch for the sale. They have been seeding for more than 40 years. Cut off the flower heads before they go to seed unless you want a lot more. By the way they do grow in partial shade. They do grow taller than you have so you might have moved them later than optional. An ideal time to dig would be late July through August before they start to put out their new roots.

Ornamental Onion (Allium schubertii)

Thanks Charlotte! I will collect seeds from one. I may make it to the auction and sale too.

Frilly, that's pretty.

It stays short and gets huge blooms, it is more than likely what you have.
I bought some at Lowes last year, they are not expensive.

The flowers heads don't look right for that one.

I guess it depends on what photo you look at, some of them look different, I am thinking a big box store may not always have the lables right, so who knows who has what.
But mine look like the one in your pic there. The little green thing is the pod where the seeds are.

They look different at different stages of development.

I'm still not seeing what you're seeing. I could be wrong but mine has the flower stalks all one length. That one appears to have different lengths. Am I missing something?

hmmm, I do see what you are saying now, thought the first photos do look like some different lengths, but it is hard to see in a photo. I don't know if mine look like that or not. They are blooming right now, I will get out to see them later this evening and see if mine look like that or not, mine may not be what they were labeled. Which of course never happens at Lowes

Schubertii is also known as Fireworks due to the shape of the bloom, not at all like Christophii.

Schubertii:

Christophii/Albopilosum:

ok, I looked mine over and it is like yours with all the little flower things the same length. I planted mine last fall and they overwintered fine and come up and bloomed, but they are maybe 12 inches off the ground. That is shorter than I thought Christophii gets, but the database does say 12-20 inches, so I guess that is it! I will change my tags since it's not labeled right.

Thanks for the update. It really helps our database if we all work together. I really hope mine get taller.

I bet they will. Wish I had known just how much Christophii self-seeds! Must have had a thousand or more to find places for in other gardens! From now on I'll remove the drying head and place it where I want more.