November 11, 2021: Plant of the Week- Allium cerium (Nodding Onion)

Allium cernuum, the Nodding Onion is a perennial that flowers in late spring to early summer. It grows up to 20 inches tall, and prefers full to mostly sunny areas like forest edges, meadows, coastal bluffs or glacial outwash with dry or well-drained soil, and low to moderate elevation. Allium cernuum has long, grass-like leaves that are onion scented and flavored. The flowers are bell shaped umbrellas of pink to rose/purple that form in a cluster and point towards the ground, drooping over, giving it the name “Nodding Onion”. This plant is great for your garden as it is an attractive ornamental flower, and may be great for onion lovers as it smells and tastes like onion! This plant is edible like chives or onions, and is great for keeping rabbits out of your gardens as they do not like the smell of onions!

For more information, check out the Burke Herbarium link below:

https://biology.burke.washington.edu/herbarium/imagecollection/taxon.php?Taxon=Allium%20cernuum