Summary ²

Allium cernuum, known as nodding onion or lady's leek, is a perennial plant in the genus Allium. It grows in dry woods, rock outcroppings, and prairies. It has been reported from much of the United States, Canada and Mexico including in the Appalachian Mountains from Alabama to New York State, the Great Lakes Region, the Ohio and Tennessee River Valleys, the Ozarks of Arkansas and Missouri, and the Rocky and Cascade Mountains of the West, from Mexico to Washington. Although it has a wide geographical distribution, this plant is absent through much of its range and is also listed as a threatened species in the state of Minnesota.

Description ³

Family:
Alliaceae (Onion)

Height:
1 to 2 feet

Leaves:
Several linear basal leaves arise from the base of the plant, sheathing the main stem(s). Leaves are long (up to 22”) and narrow (around ¼”), smooth, waxy, and parallel-veined with a keeled mid-rib. When torn or crushed, leaves have a distinct onion-like scent.

Flower:
Pastel pink to purple-pink flowers grow in a nodding, pom-pom-like cluster (up to 2” across) from the tip of the stem. Individual flowers (around ¼” across) are bell-shaped, with 6 tepals (combined petals and sepals), hanging from slender, green stalks. Flowers are subtended by a translucent, papery bract, which typically withers away once the flowers bloom.

Bloom time:
July-August

Habitat:
This species grows in partial shade to full sun, and prefers moist to mesic (somewhat well-drained), sandy, rocky, or loamy soils. It is commonly found in prairies, drier areas of wetlands, and along lakeshores.

Wildlife Benefits:
Nectar and pollen are attractive to many species of bees. Foliage and bulbs are a food source for a wide variety of insects.

Can I plant this in my garden?
Yes - nodding onion is an attractive and easy-to-grow species that is beneficial to pollinators. It is easiest to grow from bulbs, but can also be grown from seed.

References:
https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/flower/nodding-wild-onion
https://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/prairie/plantx/nod_onionx.htm
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/allium-cernuum/

Range ³

Sources and Credits

1. (c) Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District, all rights reserved, uploaded by Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District
2. Adapted by Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allium_cernuum
3. (c) Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

More Info

• iNat taxon page
• Biodiversity Heritage Library
• BOLD Systems BIN search
• eFloras.org
• Flora of North America (beta)
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
• Go Botany
• HOSTS - a Database of the World's Lepidopteran Hostplants
• IPNI (with links to POWO, WFO, and BHL)
• Maryland Biodiversity Project
• NatureServe Explorer 2.0
• OregonFlora.org
• SEINet Symbiota portals
• Tropicos
• USDA PLANTS database
• VASCAN by Canadensys
• World Flora Online

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