Allium canadense Linnaeus. Common name: Wild Onion. Phenology: Mid Apr-Jun; late May-Jul. Habitat: Bottomland forests, pastures, roadsides; though native, often appearing weedy. Distribution: NB west to ND, south to c. peninsular FL and TX.
Origin/Endemic status: Native
Synonymy ⓘ: = F, G, Mi, Pa, S, Tat, W; = Allium canadense L. var. canadense — Ar, C, Can, ETx1, FNA26, Il, K4, Mo1, NcTx, NE, NY, RAB, Tx, Va, WH3; < Allium canadense L. — Ok; > Allium canadense L. — S13; > Allium continuum Small — S13; Allium canadense L. Basionym: Allium canadense L. 1753
Links to other floras: = Allium canadense var. canadense - FNA26
Show parent genus | Show parent in key(s)
Wetland Indicator Status:
- Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain: FACU (taxonomic split from wetland indicator species)
- Eastern Mountains and Piedmont: FACU (taxonomic split from wetland indicator species)
- Great Plains: FACU (taxonomic split from wetland indicator species)
- Midwest: FACU (taxonomic split from wetland indicator species)
- Northcentral & Northeast: FACU (taxonomic split from wetland indicator species)
Heliophily ⓘ: 5
Hover over a shape, letter, icon, or arrow on the map for definition or see the legend.
© Keith Bradley | Original Image ⭷
© Aidan Campos source | Original Image ⭷
© Richard & Teresa Ware CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG | Original Image ⭷
© Keith Bradley | Original Image ⭷
© Joey Shaw source | Original Image ⭷
© Aidan Campos source | Original Image ⭷
© Alan Cressler: Allium canadense, Nettle Glade, Ketona Dolomite, Kathy Stiles Freeland Bibb County Glades Preserve, The Nature Conservancy, Bibb County, Alabama 1 by Alan Cressler source | Original Image ⭷
© Aidan Campos source | Original Image ⭷
© Aidan Campos source | Original Image ⭷
© Aidan Campos source | Original Image ⭷Feedback
See something missing or incorrect about Allium canadense? Let us know here:
- Please include your name and if possible, email in case when need to clarify what you wrote.
- If you opt out of including email, please be as specific as possible (e.g., which photo is incorrect?)
- Please do not submit questions asking to identify plants or about horticultural topics (e.g., how do I control an invasive plant in my garden?). Instead, those questions can be submitted here for the Carolinas region only.
- Please do not send us feedback about unkeyed species as this work is ongoing.
- Please allow time for flora edits to show in our next data release. We greatly appreciate your feedback but may require extra time to research complicated taxonomic issues.
Horticultural Information
Intro: Erect perennial of bottomland forests, pastures and roadsides.
Stems: Stem a smooth flowering scape from a bulb with fibrous covering.
Leaves: Leaves basal, ascending, grasslike, flattened and solid, 8-15 in. long.
Inforescence:
Flowers: Flowers in a rounded, compact umbel that begins with a sack-like, membranous covering, a dried remnant of which persists at the umbel base. Flowers consist of a mix of light green to reddish, oval bulbils along with several white to pinkish-lavender, long-stalked flowers; each flower up to ½ in. wide and composed of 6 tepals, 6 stamens, and a light green ovary.
Fruits:
Comments: The variety Allium canadense var. mobilense differs from the typical variety (Allium canadense var. canadense) in that the inflorescence consists of all flowers (no bulbils); it is found mostly farther to the south and in states bordering the Gulf of Mexico.
Height: 8-24 in.
plant sale text:
bloom table text:
description: Erect perennial of bottomland forests, pastures and roadsides.
stems: Stem a smooth flowering scape from a bulb with fibrous covering.
leaves: Leaves basal, ascending, grasslike, flattened and solid, 8-15 in. long.
inflorescence:
flowers: Flowers in a rounded, compact umbel that begins with a sack-like, membranous covering, a dried remnant of which persists at the umbel base. Flowers consist of a mix of light green to reddish, oval bulbils along with several white to pinkish-lavender, long-stalked flowers; each flower up to ½ in. wide and composed of 6 tepals, 6 stamens, and a light green ovary.
fruits:
comments: The variety Allium canadense var. mobilense differs from the typical variety (Allium canadense var. canadense) in that the inflorescence consists of all flowers (no bulbils); it is found mostly farther to the south and in states bordering the Gulf of Mexico.
cultural notes:
germination code:
native range:
0 unsaved edits on this page.