These are species and varieties of onions with that do not grow very tall, and may be suited to use in a rock garden or riased bed, or growing in pots. They have clusters of flowers with pointed petals, which may be white, pink, purple, blue or, in a few cases, yellow.

Allium cernuum has a name that means nodding onion, and it is a particularly beautiful member of a mixed genus. Its umbels of flowers do nod gracefully, but each umbel contains 20 to 30 of the mid pink flowers, so it is also colourful.