Allium neapolitanum (Neapolitan Garlic) - Starry White Spring Flowers for a Wildlife-Rich Garden

Delicate, bright and wonderfully easy to weave through a wildlife-friendly planting scheme, Allium neapolitanum, commonly known as Neapolitan Garlic, produces loose clusters of crisp white, star-shaped flowers above fresh green foliage in late spring and early summer.

The open flowers are readily accessible to visiting insects and provide nectar and pollen for bees and other pollinators, helping to continue the succession of forage as many of the earliest spring bulbs begin to finish.

Growing to around 30-40 cm tall, Neapolitan Garlic works particularly well planted in informal groups through sunny borders, gravel gardens and naturalistic planting. The slender stems and airy white flower heads mean it can be combined with other spring and early-summer plants without overwhelming them.

Plant several together for the best effect, allowing the individual flower heads to create a scattering of white stars through the planting.

Wildlife value

The simple, open flowers of Allium neapolitanum make their nectar and pollen accessible to a range of visiting insects, particularly bees.

Its late-spring flowering period is especially useful in a wildlife-friendly garden because it helps provide continuity of forage between early spring bulbs and the greater abundance of flowers that arrives in summer.

Although not native to Britain, this is exactly the sort of carefully selected ornamental bulb that can earn its place in a wildlife garden by adding a genuinely useful additional source of forage.

Where to plant

Choose a position in full sun with reasonably free-draining soil. Neapolitan Garlic is particularly attractive in:

• sunny wildlife borders
• gravel and Mediterranean-style planting
• informal bulb plantings
• naturalistic perennial borders
• sunny banks and slopes
• containers and larger planters

Planting in small groups or loose drifts gives a much more natural effect than planting individual bulbs at regular intervals.

Planting & care

Plant the bulbs in autumn, approximately 8-10cm deep, with the pointed end uppermost, spacing them around 8-10 cm apart.

Avoid ground that remains persistently waterlogged during winter. Once established in a suitable position, the bulbs can be left largely undisturbed.

Allow the foliage to die back naturally after flowering rather than cutting or tying it while still green. This allows the bulb to replenish its reserves for the following year's growth.

Naturalising

Where conditions suit it, Allium neapolitanum can gradually form attractive groups, making it particularly useful for relaxed, naturalistic planting.

Rather than relying on one enormous block of flowers, try threading smaller groups among other wildlife-friendly plants. This creates a longer, more varied flowering display and provides pollinators with a succession of different food sources.

Good to know

Like other ornamental Allium species, Neapolitan Garlic is grown primarily as an ornamental plant and should not be treated as a culinary garlic.

Alliums can also be harmful to pets if eaten in quantity, so plant and store bulbs appropriately where dogs or other pets may be inclined to investigate them.

Why Wild Your Garden?

We carefully select bulbs that earn their place in a wildlife-friendly garden - prioritising native and naturalised species where ecological relationships matter most, alongside carefully chosen ornamentals that provide useful additional forage.

Orders are hand-picked for quality and packed in paper wherever suitable, with breathable net packaging used where necessary to keep bulbs in the best possible condition.

We work with specialist bulb growers and suppliers, including long-established local growers.