An easily grown plant. it prefers a sunny position in a light well-drained soil. Established plants are fairly drought tolerant. The bulbs should be planted fairly deeply. Grows well with most plants, especially roses, carrots, beet and chamomile, but it inhibits the growth of legumes. This plant is a bad companion for alfalfa, each species negatively affecting the other. Plants often divide freely at the roots. A good bee plant. The flowers are very attractive to bees. The flowers are sometimes replaced with bulbils. Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer.

Edible bulb - raw or cooked. An onion substitute. The bulbs are up to 35mm in diameter. Leaves - raw or cooked. They can be dried for later use. Flowers - raw. Used as a garnish on salads.

Seed - sow spring in a cold frame. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle - if you want to produce clumps more quickly then put three plants in each pot. Grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter and plant them out into their permanent positions in spring once they are growing vigorously and are large enough. Division in spring. The plants divide successfully at any time in the growing season, pot up the divisions in a cold frame or greenhouse until they are growing well and then plant them out into their permanent positions.

Limestone rocks and fields in dry places.