The species is native to Turkey, Cyprus, Syria, Lebanon, and the Palestine region but cultivated as an ornamental in many other places.

The scape carries a dense umbellate inflorescence with star-like flowers up to 9 mm across; the tepals are white with a green midvein; the anthers are purple or yellow.

[1][9] However, Allium basalticum has been considered sufficiently distinct on molecular grounds, to be recognised as a new separate species.

It has again been treated as a separate species based on molecular data, but under the new name of Allium meronense Fragman & R.M.

have varied, resulting in the name being applied to a variety of different plants, a concept not supported by molecular data which indicate Allium israeliticum Fragman & R.M.

[7] The plant is a frequent ornamental in European and North American gardens, having been introduced in the early twentieth century.