Nodding Onion

Allium cernuum

Nodding Onion is a native herbaceous bulb perennial with long, narrow grass-like green foliage.  Sturdy upright stems that crook sharply downwards at the ends and sport loose nodding clusters of flowers of the ends in summer.  Grows best with light afternoon shade in the South and dry to medium well-drained soils.  When crushed the plant smells like onion.  

This is an unspecified selection that can be purple, pink, or white flowering.

MAINTENANCE NEEDS: Low maintenance. Bulb rot will occur in overly moist or poorly drained soils.  Watch for mildew, rust, and leaf spot.  Thrips are occasional problems.

LANDSCAPE USES:  Accents or Group Plantings, Borders, Woodland Gardens, Naturalized Areas, Rock Gardens, Groundcover, and Containers.

COMPANION PLANTS:  Switchgrass ,  Russian Sage,  Stonecrop

IMAGES:  ghislain118  http://www.fleurs-des-montagnes.net,  Allium cernuum 1, CC BY-SA 3.0, (2) Alvin Kho, 20180701_6882 Allium cernuum, (3) Peter Stevens, Nodding onion, (4) Matt Lavin,  Allium cernuum - nodding onion - 52232791156, CC BY-SA 2.0, (6) Matt Lavin from Bozeman, Montana, USA,  Allium cernuum (3286993765),  CC BY-SA 2.0

 *As plants have ranges in appearance they may not appear as the images shown.