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Allium cernuum
Wild Onion, Nodding Wild Onion, Lady's Leeks, Nodding Onion

Photo by Cure Nursery

Nodding Wild Onion is a delightful member of the onion family, a perennial herb which is beautifull as well as hardy and well behaved in the garden. Flat, grass-like leaves emerge as a clump from rhizomatous bulbs, followed by taller, round, leafless flowering stalks which bend over, dangling clusters of dainty little white, pink or lavender flowers with yellow exserted stamens and pistils (“cernuous” = “drooping, as a flower; nodding”) This cool season flowering perennial, found in counties sprinkled across the NC piedmont and mountain regions, is soil adaptable, thriving in sunny habitats with well drained alkaline, neutral or even acidic soils. Pollinated mostly by bees (which can do their business upside down), Nodding Wild Onion is what most gardenerss appreciate most – a carefree and cheerful plant.

Last Updated: May 20, 2019

Key Info

Scientific Name: Allium cernuum Roth var. cernuum
Common Names: Wild Onion, Nodding Wild Onion, Lady's Leeks, Nodding Onion
Family Name: Alliaceae (Onion Family)
Plant Type: Herbaceous perennial
Uses: Perennial Border, Naturalizing, Specimen, Meadow, Butterfly garden, Rock garden, Container, Facing plant
Light Requirement: Full sun, Partial/sunny
Moisture Requirement: Dry, Medium, Moist well drained
Bloom Times: Jun, Jul, Aug
Flower Color: White, Lavender, Pink/rose
Special Characteristics: Attracts bees, Attracts Hummingbirds, Tolerates urban pollution, Tolerates Black Walnut, Soil adaptable, Tolerates salt, Reported to be deer resistant., Attract butterflies, Tolerates some dry conditions

Additional Info

Habit: Rhizomatous bulbs, usually clustered, give rise to grass-like leaves and several flowering stalks. Clonal offsets are produced, forming new bulbs underground.
Height: 1.5'
Spread: 1'
Growth Rate: Moderate to fast
Soil Conditions: Moist, well drained to dry; prefers alkaline but adapts to neutral or acidic pH; light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils.
Leaves: The leaf blades are simple, ascending, solid, flat, broadly V-shaped in cross section, 10-12 inches long by 1/3 inch wide, with parallel venation.
Flowers (or reproductive structures): One or two flowering stems may arise from a single underground bulb, round in cross section, recurved near the top and bearing a loose, 2-inch umbel of 30 - 50 dangling, ¼-inch, bell-shaped flowers with white, lavender or pink sometimes-incurved petals, 6 exserted yellow stamens (male parts) and a prominent style (female part). The bulbs, foliage and flowers have a light onion-y scent.
Fruit: The ovaries of the flowers develop into seed capsules which split open to release several small, brown seeds. August - October.
Natural Distribution: Open woodlands or around outcrops of calcareous rocks, in the mountains at low elevations. Nodding Onion is normally found in high-quality natural areas. Much of the prairie habitat where this plant once occurred has been replaced by development.
USDA Hardiness Zone: 4-8
USDA Wetland Indicator Status in NC: FACU
Pollination: Bees.
Wildlife Connections: For foliage feeders, Nodding Onion is host to the Hairstreak Butterfly larva, and a number of insects with "onion" in their names (see Illinoiswildflower.info). The nectar and pollen of the nodding flowers attract primarily bees -- the nodding umbels are an evolutionary adaptation that tends to restrict insects feeding on nectar and pollen to bees which can hang upside down while working. Mammals usually avoid onions.
Pharmacology: All parts of this plant are mildly toxic but can be eaten in small amounts. Some recommend adding bulbs, leaves and flowers to salads (PFAF).
Cultural Notes: Plants should be divided every few years.
Downside: Nodding Onion does not tolerate wet conditions.
Propagation: By seed or division of bulblets in fall.
USDA/NRCS Plant Distribution Map: View Map at USDA.gov
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Who we are

Cure Nursery is a small nursery propagating and selling native plants for the Southeastern U.S. We are located near the town of Pittsboro, Chatham County, in central NC.

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Cure Nursery operates by appointment only. Call us or email us to place an order for pick up or to arrange a time to come visit the nursery.

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