There are two other Alliums you'll often see in garden centres. The nodding buds open up to upward facing, glistening white flowers with yellow anthers. This is a bulb of the dry, open sunny spaces in Portugal and the Mediterranean. Do not put it in clay soils and do not grow it where it will get much summer moisture. While the flowers have a pleasant fragrance to them, as a native of southern climates, they can be a bit miffy in colder climates.
Many gardeners do find however that they make excellent forcing bulbs.
The last, but not least, is A. karataviense. This strapped leaf shaped plant is well worth a place of honour in any rock garden or the front of a sunny perennial border. At eight inches tall, the four to six inch blossom is a bit unexpected but quite welcome in the early spring garden. Click here for all the details.