About
Allium tolmiei, Tolmie's onion, is a wild onion of mountains and scrublands in the inland north-western United States.
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
“General guidance for the genus” marks advice sourced for the genus as a whole rather than this species.
Field notes
Morphology
Ovoid to lopsided bulbs up to 2 cm long usually disappear at flowering and re-form afterwards. Bell-shaped flowers up to 12 mm across have white to pink tepals with reddish midribs and purple or yellow anthers.
Distribution & habitat
Idaho, eastern and central Oregon, south-eastern Washington, north-western Nevada and north-eastern California, on mountains and scrubland at 400–2800 m.
History & etymology
Named after William Fraser Tolmie, who found it; described by John Gilbert Baker in 1876. Once treated as a variety of A. douglasii but generally accepted as a species.
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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