SafePlants

Allium cernuum: Nodding Onion

Allium cernuum, commonly known as nodding onion or lady's leek, is a charming perennial plant admired for its distinctive nodding flowers.

Considerations for Pets and Children

• This plant develops bulbs or tubers.

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

• Scientific Name: Allium cernuum
• Common Names: Nodding Onion, Lady's Leek, Allegheny Onion, New Mexican Nodding Onion, Nodding Pink Onion, Wild Onion, Lillydale Onion.
• Family: Liliaceae (Lily Family)
• Synonyms:
  • Allium cernuum var. neomexicanum (New Mexican Nodding Onion)

Distribution and Habitat

• Allium cernuum is found in North America, including parts of Canada, the United States, and Mexico.
• Specific locations mentioned include the Appalachian Mountains (from Alabama to New York), New Mexico, Oregon, Idaho, California, Nevada, Utah, and Arizona.
• It thrives in diverse habitats such as ledges, dry meadows, gravel, and rocky or wooded slopes.

Morphological Characteristics

• It is a bulb-forming plant that grows to approximately 0.5 meters (1 ft 8 in) in height and 0.3 meters (1 ft) in width.
• It features umbellate pink flowers that, unlike many other native onions, are nodding rather than upright.

Ecological Role

• Allium cernuum is a native plant of North America that provides food and cover for birds.

Cultivation

• Prefers moist soil but can tolerate drought conditions.
• New plants can be established more easily by transplanting bulbs than by seeding.

Traditional Uses

• The entire plant has mild medicinal activity similar to garlic (Allium sativum).
• Wild onions, including nodding onion, are edible and considered nutritious. Caution is advised when foraging, as they can be confused with toxic deathcamas before flowering.

Interactions with Other Organisms

• It provides food and cover for birds.

Further Information

• Plants-NRCS Logos Symbol: ALCEN
• Flora of North America North of Mexico