Plant record · Bulb · Amaryllidaceae
Is Ornamental Onion deer resistant?
Allium giganteum
Yes. Deer almost always leave this alone.
- Type
- Bulb
- Hardiness
- Zones 4–8
- Light
- Full sun
- Height
- 12–72 in
- Bloom
- May–June
- Maintenance
- Low
- Family
- Amaryllidaceae
- Toxic to
- cats, dogs, and horses
Damage steps follow a published university field scale. How plants are rated.
About Ornamental Onion
Onion scent that deer refuse entirely, and the traditional companion for a rose bed for exactly that reason.
The interplanting works because of proximity rather than magic. Alliums do not create a protective field over a bed, but a rose with alliums growing up through it is meaningfully less attractive than one standing alone, and the flower heads are a genuine ornamental asset in June rather than a sacrifice.
The foliage dies back and goes yellow while the flower is still at its best, which is the one aesthetic problem. Plant them behind something that comes up later to hide the leaves.
Leave the seed heads standing after flowering. They hold their shape into fall and look better dead than most plants do alive.
Soil and care
- Soil pH
- 6 to 7.5
- Drainage
- Well drained
- Water
- Low
- Fertility
- Low
- Spacing
- 8 to 12 in apart
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Maintenance
- Low
Tolerances and uses
- Drought
- High
- Salt
- Moderate
- Pollinators
- High
Containers
What to plant it with
- Garden Rose
Onion scent masks roses from deer and the flower heads carry the bed in June. The traditional pairing, and it works.
Similar to Ornamental Onion
Other bulbs with the same deer rating.
- Autumn CrocusColchicum sp.Zones 4–8, genus rangeRarely damaged
- BluebellEndymion sp.Zones 4–8, genus rangeRarely damaged
- Crown ImperialFritillaria imperialisZones 5–8Rarely damaged
- DaffodilNarcissus spp.Zones 3–8, genus rangeRarely damaged
- Siberian SquillScilla sibericaZones 2–8Rarely damaged
- SnowdropsGalanthus nivalisZones 3–9Rarely damaged
Where Ornamental Onion is used
2 guides on this site plant it, and say where and what beside it.
- Do Deer Eat Vegetables? Every Crop by How Often It Gets EatenPeppers, onions and melons are rarely touched; lettuce, beans, carrots and every brassica are eaten first. The Iowa State list, crop by crop, with what to do about the ones you want anyway.11 min
- Garlic as a Deer RepellentGarlic is in nearly every repellent recipe. In the trials that ranked products head to head, the garlic-dominant ones finished last.6 min
Where Ornamental Onion grows
Hardy across 50 states on zone range alone. Mountain and coastal areas sit outside the ranges used here, so check your own zone before ordering. Select any state, including one it will not grow in, for what is resistant there.
Choose a state from the listeasier on a phone
- Pennsylvania
- New Jersey
- New York
- Connecticut
- Massachusetts
- Virginia
- Maryland
- Michigan
- Wisconsin
- Ohio
- Indiana
- Illinois
- Minnesota
- Missouri
- North Carolina
- Tennessee
- Georgia
- Texas
- Colorado
- California
- Oregon
- Washington
- New Hampshire
- Vermont
- Maine
- Rhode Island
- Delaware
- West Virginia
- Kentucky
- South Carolina
- Florida
- Alabama
- Mississippi
- Louisiana
- Arkansas
- Oklahoma
- Kansas
- Nebraska
- Iowa
- North Dakota
- South Dakota
- Montana
- Wyoming
- Idaho
- Utah
- Nevada
- Arizona
- New Mexico
- Alaska
- District of Columbia
- Hawaii
Common questions about Ornamental Onion
- Is Ornamental Onion deer resistant?
- Ornamental Onion (Allium giganteum) is rated Rarely Damaged, step 1 of 4 on the damage scale this site uses. Deer almost always leave this alone.
- What hardiness zones does Ornamental Onion grow in?
- Ornamental Onion is hardy in USDA zones 4 to 8. Outside that range it will either not survive winter or will struggle with summer heat.
- Does Ornamental Onion grow in shade?
- No. Ornamental Onion wants full sun and will grow thin and flop in shade.
- How big does Ornamental Onion get?
- Mature height is roughly 12–72 in. Growth rate is moderate.
- When does Ornamental Onion bloom?
- Ornamental Onion flowers from May–June.
- Is Ornamental Onion toxic to dogs or cats?
- Yes. The ASPCA lists Ornamental Onion as toxic to cats, dogs, and horses. Site it away from where animals graze, or choose something else if you have a dog that chews.
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Every list Ornamental Onion belongs to.
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