About
Allium geyeri, Geyer's onion, is a widespread pink-to-white wild onion of western North America, visited by many bumblebee species.
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
- Flowering stalks up to 50 cm.
“General guidance for the genus” marks advice sourced for the genus as a whole rather than this species.
Field notes
Morphology
Narrow, elongated bulbs up to 25 mm long produce flowering stalks up to 50 cm tall with bell- to urn-shaped pink to white flowers and yellow pollen.
Distribution & habitat
Western United States and Canada: the Rocky Mountain states from New Mexico to Idaho, the Great Basin, the Pacific Northwest, Texas, South Dakota and Arizona, and Manitoba, British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan.
Ecology
Pollinated by many bumblebees, including Bombus bifarius, B. centralis, B. flavifrons, B. huntii, B. melanopygus, B. sylvicola and B. occidentalis.
History & etymology
Three varieties are recognised: var. chatterleyi (Abajo Mountains, Utah), var. geyeri and var. tenerum.
Conservation
Assessed by the IUCN as Least Concern.
Habitat
- Altitude
- Not recorded
- Altitude class
- —
- Native to
- United States, Canada
- IUCN status
- Least concern
Cultivation
- Difficulty
- Not recorded
Text adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
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