Description

Allium cernuum, Nodding Onion, Wholesale Native Bare Root Perennial

Allium cernuum Roth
Nodding Onion
Liliaceae (Lily Family)
Synonym(s):
USDA Symbol: ALCE2
USDA Native Status: L48 (N), CAN (N)
Soft, grasslike leaves and a 1-2 ft., leafless flowering stalk rise from a bulb. The stem bends so that the pink flowers, borne in a cluster at the top, nod toward the ground. An umbel of many pink or white flowers at the tip of a long, erect, leafless stalk, bent like a shepherd’s crook; a basal cluster of several long, narrow leaves. All parts of the perennial have a mild, oniony scent.

This plant is closely related to the Autumn Wild Onion (A. stellatum) but differs in its unique nodding flower cluster and earlier flowering. One of the rarer Carolinian species because of its restricted habitat.
Attracts hairstreak butterfly.
The city of Chicago gets it’s name from the Algonquin Indian name for this plant, “chigagou”.

Plant Characteristics
Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Leaf Complexity: Simple
Fruit Type: Capsule
Size Notes: Up to about 2 feet tall.
Fruit: Amber
Bloom Information
Bloom Color: White , Pink
Bloom Time: Jun , Jul , Aug
Distribution
USA: AL , AR , AZ , CO , DC , GA , IA , ID , IL , IN , KY , MD , MI , MN , MO , MS , MT , NC , NE , NJ , NM , NY , OH , OR , PA , SC , SD , TN , TX , UT , VA , WA , WI , WV , WY
Canada: AB , BC , ON , SK
Native Distribution: NY to B.C., s. to mts. & cooler regions from GA to AZ and south into northern Mexico
Native Habitat: Dry to moist prairies; stream banks; moist areas at high altitudes
Growing Conditions
Light Requirement: Sun
Soil Moisture: Moist
Soil pH: Alkaline (pH>7.2)
CaCO3 Tolerance: High
Soil Description: Humus-rich, neutral to alkaline soils.
Conditions Comments: Nodding onion is most effectively planted in small groups. Plants benefit from being divided every third year or when 8-10 bulbs appear in the clump. Some Allium species can become weedy in warmer climates.
Benefit
Use Wildlife: Bulbs are utilized by bears and ground squirrels. Elk and deer graze the early spring herbage. Attracts haistreak butterfly.
Warning: Mildly toxic if eaten but can be safely consumed in small amounts, large quantities not recommended. Symptoms may include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea. Toxic Principle: Sulfides.
Conspicuous Flowers: yes
Attracts: Butterflies , Hummingbirds
Nectar Source: yes
Value to Beneficial Insects
Special Value to Native Bees
Supports Conservation Biological Control

Allium cernuum, Nodding Onion, Wholesale Native Bare Root Perennial