About
Allium crispum, the crinkled onion, is a magenta-flowered wild onion endemic to the central coast of California.
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
- Prefers part shade.
- Water
- Avoid overly damp ground; wet conditions invite bulb rot and other fungal problems. General guidance for the genus
- Soil
- Grows on clay and serpentine soils in the wild; good drainage still matters.
- Propagation
- Divide bulb offsets in spring; seed is slower and may take years to germinate. General guidance for the genus
- Mature size
- 10–20 cm tall.
“General guidance for the genus” marks advice sourced for the genus as a whole rather than this species.
Field notes
Morphology
A bulb 1–1.5 cm wide sends up leafless stems 10–20 cm tall with many magenta flowers. The three inner tepals are smaller and crinkled like cloth, sometimes curling under; anthers are yellow. Narrow leaves about 1.5 mm wide are slightly shorter than the stems.
Distribution & habitat
Central Coast Ranges and the Santa Monica Mountains of California, often on clay and serpentine soils in foothill woodland and valley grassland.
Ecology
Flowers mainly from March to June.
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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