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 falcifolium is a very good alpine species from the west coast of America, which has prostrate leaves and a short stem carrying a ball of bright purplish pink flowers, tubular at the base but with widely flared spiky petals at the outer end.