This onion relative is a California native that occurs naturally in our area. It is sometimes called the "single-leaf onion", which is a good translation of its Latin name - but not a good description of the plant, since it certainly has more than one leaf, A great drought-tolerant plant that does well in dry shade. Allium is now placed in the subfamily Allioideae within the Amaryllis Family, but previously this subfamily was considered as a family of its own - Alliaceae.
Perennial; 12-20”; full sun, part shade; sand, gravelly, loam, or clay soil; drought tolerant
Description: Nodding onion is a native plant found in the Rocky Mountains and cooler regions of the South. It is also widely distributed across the northern United States. Plants have a characteristic onion odor and their narrow, grass-like leaves grow from a single bulb. Each flower stalk bears an umbel of pink flowers that hang down like a shepherd’s crook. The species name cernuum comes from the Latin word for “nodding.”
Nodding onion plants are an attractive choice for native or rock gardens and are quite easy to grow. Their lovely pink to purple umbels, flowering in early to mid-summer, provide interest in clumps near other low growing plants such as wild geranium, prairie phlox, Missouri evening primrose and daisies. Interplanting with a groundcover also disguises fading foliage which dries out after blooming.
Native Americans and early settlers ate nodding onions for food and used them for medicinal purposes. Plants were steamed for immediate consumption or dried for use in the winter. They are still eaten by people who forage for edible plants. All parts may be eaten, but their flavor is stronger than commercial onions. Collecting in the wild before flowering is not recommended as plants can easily be mistaken for poisonous death camas.
Height: Up to 20” tall
Spread/Spacing: 3 – 6” / plant 12” apart
Exposure: Full sun, part shade; Flower best in full sun, but benefit from some light afternoon shade in hot locations.
Soil Tolerances: sand, gravel, loam, clay; Does fine in average well-drained soil. Tolerates shallow, rocky soil.
Soil Moisture: Dry to moist
Water: Low to medium; drought tolerant
Bloom: June - August; pink
Value to Pollinators: Attractive to hummingbirds, butterflies, native bees, and honeybees. Host to the hairstreak butterfly caterpillar.
Deer & Rabbit Resistance: Deer resistant. Some sources also report they are rabbit resistant. Bears and squirrels will sometimes eat the bulbs.
Where they like to grow: Rocky soil, open woods, meadows, prairies
Cultivation Notes: Very easy to grow from either seeds or bulbs. Plant seeds in the fall after scarifying. Nodding onion plants self-seed readily. To prevent spreading, deadhead before seeds develop. Bulbs form bulblets that should be divided every 3 years.
Like all Wikipedia articles says Allium belongs to the tribe Alliaceae, but not the English, no there it states that it belongs to Allieae. I found this out when I wanted to know the English name for Alliaceae (called Lökväxter in Swedish, leek plants), and there’s not even a Wikipedia article for Alliaceae?
Society garlic (Tulbaghia violacea). A South African native, in the garlic family (Alliaceae). Bears fragrant* flowers from May through to autumn.
*well, apparently they’re fragrant. I sniffed these and they smell of onions... so... not something I would put in a bouquet unless it was for Shrek.
I keep this indoors on a bright windowsill all year round, as it cannot handle frost. It’s one of the first interesting things I grew from seed, over 5 years ago. This is the first time it’s flowered, but it’s been through 3 house moves and all sorts of inadequate growing conditions during my inexperienced early years.
