Description

Nodding Onion

Soil: Mesic(Medium) to Xeric(Medium-Dry) Tolerates some moisture.
Sun: Full to Partial
Height: 18″
Color: White to Lavender
Blooms: July-August
Flowers: Flowers are in umbels that are facing down toward the ground. There are no bulbils in the inflorescence. Flowers are pollinated by small bees.
Leaves: The grass-like leaves rise directly from the bulb. They are 6-18″ long.

Suggested Uses:

This is an excellent plant for prairie or shoreline restoration projects It is also a great plant for attracting beneficial insects to your garden or landscape. The delicate light lavender to white flowers are pretty in bouquets and the bulbs and green shoots are edible as well. Also, this lovely flowering plant is very useful in a rock garden or in sandy soils! Nodding Onion will  grow in dry open woods as well as on the prairie.

Interesting Facts

Medicinal Uses: Native American tribes used the bulbs of the Nodding Onion (Allium cernuum as a treatment for croup, colic, colds and fevers. Early settlers used poultices to treat respiratory disorders.
Food Uses: The whole plant is edible, but the bulb is the most useful. It can be used like any other onion – raw, cooked, pickled etc. Pollinated by small bees.
Name: Allium is the ancient Latin name for garlic.
Other Names: Wild Onion, Wild Garlic, Lady’s Leek