Allium cernuum
nodding onion
Family AmaryllidaceaeAlso called lady's leek
About
Allium cernuum, the nodding onion, is a North American wild onion recognised by its drooping clusters of pink or white bell-shaped 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
- Not recorded.
- 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
- Fertile, loose, well-drained soil; sand or loam both suit. General guidance for the genus
- 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
An unsheathed, tapering conical bulb merges into several flat, keeled, grass-like leaves 2–4 mm wide. Each mature bulb sends up one stem ending in a downward-nodding umbel of bell-shaped white or rose flowers about 5 mm across, without bulblets. Crested round capsules split to release shiny dark seeds.
Distribution & habitat
Open areas across much of the United States, Canada and Mexico, including the Appalachians, Great Lakes, Ozarks, and the Rocky and Cascade Mountains; absent from California, Florida, New England and much of the Great Plains.
Ecology
Flowers in July and August.
Cultivation notes
Edible raw with a strong onion flavour and can be cooked in stews, though it is little used today.
Habitat
- Altitude
- Not recorded
- Altitude class
- —
- Native to
- United States, Canada, Mexico
Cultivation
- Difficulty
- Not recorded
Text adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
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