Description
Allium listera is rather unusual species with incredible leaves that look just like a miniature Hosta, held on short stems and often with crisped edges. These will fool all but the most tactile of garden guests. These leaves emerge, with an ephemeral touch of bronze on them, in early spring.
It is late-flowering making its flowers in July on 25-40cm stems holding rounded, open heads of creamy-pink, rounded flowers borne on stiff pink tubes. The darker pink tubes and pale pink centre gives a lovely appearance and contrasts well with the central emerald ovaries
A site with a touch of shade in a well-drained but humus-rich soils seems to suit them well and pink flowering, shade loving Allium are scarce, so this fills a gap.
Slow to increase and little-known since it was described, by Stearn, in 1934. Shady places and moist slopes from 600m-2000m. in China (Anhui, Hebei, Henan, Jilin, Shaanxi, Shanxi). These are nursery-produced plants and not Chinese imports.
