White Wild Onion, Pink Wild Onion
Prairie Onion is the name given to two different wild onions, both of which have a distinctive onion smell.
Allium textile (4-10 in high) are found in Canada's prairie provinces and the central United States. The name refers to the fine mesh of fibres covering the bulbs. Umbrella-shaped clusters of 15-30 small white bell-shaped flowers (1/4 in long) bloom from May to July. They grow in dry sandy or rocky grassland or desert areas. One or two narrow leaves appear before the flowers. Later in the season, you'll find capsules of 4-6 seeds.
Allium stellatum (8-18 in high) are found in dry or rocky areas from Manitoba through Ontario and south around the Great Lakes to Texas, Oklahoma, and Tennessee. They are also known as Autumn Onions as they bloom later in the season from July to August. They have umbrella-shaped clusters of flowers ranging from light pink to a deep pinkish purple.
Could it be? Nodding Onions are less common than Prairie Onions and taller. They have pink flowers that bloom in the same season as Allium stellatum and in some of the same areas, but their flower heads are erect and don't nod.
Did you know? Unlike the domestic onion, Prairie Onions have flat, solid (not hollow) leaves.
See Also: Nodding Onion
