Allium atrorubens
dark red onion
Family AmaryllidaceaeAlso called desert onion
About
Allium atrorubens, the dark red onion, is a desert wild onion of the south-western United States with glossy magenta to maroon flowers.
Care at a glance
- Pet safety
- Allium species are toxic to cats and dogs; eating large amounts can cause hemolytic anemia, and cats are most sensitive. General guidance for the genus
- People
- Low toxicity; eating large quantities may cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. General guidance for the genus
- Light
- Full sun to light shade. General guidance for the genus
- Water
- Avoid overly damp ground; wet conditions invite bulb rot and other fungal problems. General guidance for the genus
- Soil
- Sandy, well-drained soil, as in its desert habitat.
- Propagation
- Divide bulb offsets in spring; seed is slower and may take years to germinate. General guidance for the genus
“General guidance for the genus” marks advice sourced for the genus as a whole rather than this species.
Field notes
Morphology
A reddish-brown bulb 1–1.5 cm across produces a short stem with a few coiled, tubular leaves and an umbel of up to 50 flowers. Each flower is about 1 cm wide, with six shiny, sharply triangular tepals, usually magenta to maroon with dark midveins, occasionally pink or white.
Distribution & habitat
Sandy soils of the Mojave Desert, the Great Basin and higher deserts in Nevada, eastern California, south-western Utah and north-western Arizona.
History & etymology
Described by Sereno Watson in 1871; Plants of the World Online accepts two varieties.
Habitat
- Altitude
- Not recorded
- Altitude class
- —
- Native to
- United States
Cultivation
- Difficulty
- Not recorded
Text adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
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