Allium crenulatum
Olympic onion
Family AmaryllidaceaeAlso called scalloped onion
About
Allium crenulatum, the Olympic onion, is a low alpine onion of the Pacific Northwest mountains, growing on talus and tundra.
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
- 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 15 cm; leaves up to 35 cm long.
“General guidance for the genus” marks advice sourced for the genus as a whole rather than this species.
Field notes
Morphology
Ovoid bulbs up to 2 cm long form on rhizomes away from the parent. Flat leaves up to 35 cm long may have tiny marginal teeth. A flattened, winged stalk up to 15 cm carries a compact umbel of up to 25 bell-shaped pink flowers about 13 mm across with darker midveins.
Distribution & habitat
Oregon, Washington and British Columbia, in the Cascades, Coast Ranges, Olympic and Wenatchee Mountains and on Vancouver Island, on talus slopes and alpine tundra at 600–2500 m.
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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