Allium acuminatum
tapertip onion
Family AmaryllidaceaeAlso called Hooker's onion
About
Allium acuminatum is a wild onion of western North America with pink to purple flower heads, historically eaten by First Peoples.
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
- Mature size
- Flower stalk up to 40 cm tall.
“General guidance for the genus” marks advice sourced for the genus as a whole rather than this species.
Field notes
Morphology
Round, onion-scented bulbs under 2 cm across produce a stalk up to 40 cm tall carrying an umbel of up to 40 pink to purple flowers with yellow anthers. Its two or three grooved leaves usually wither before flowering.
Distribution & habitat
Western United States and Canada: every state west of the Rocky Mountains and British Columbia, on open rocky slopes and among brush and pines.
History & etymology
First Peoples in southern British Columbia harvested the bulbs in early spring or late autumn, usually cooking them in pits; both bulb and flowering stalk are edible.
Habitat
- Altitude
- Not recorded
- Altitude class
- —
- Native to
- United States, Canada
Cultivation
- Difficulty
- Not recorded
Text adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
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