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Allium falcifolium

Allium falcifolium Hook. & Arn.

Scytheleaf Onion, Scythe-leaf Onion, Sickle-leaf Onion

Liliaceae (Lily Family)

Synonym(s): Allium breweri

USDA Symbol: ALFA3

USDA Native Status: L48 (N)

A very low wild onion with two thick, flat leaves only slightly exceeding the 3-5 inch flowering stems in height. Small umbels of deep rose to nearly white flowers top the flowering stems.

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Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Leaf Complexity: Simple
Fruit Type: Capsule
Size Notes: Scape up to about 10 inches tall.
Fruit: Seeds black.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: White , Pink , Purple
Bloom Time: Mar , Apr , May , Jun , Jul

Distribution

USA: CA , OR
Native Distribution: S.w. OR to Santa Cruz Co., CA
Native Habitat: Serpentine outcrops; open, rocky slopes & scree

Growing Conditions

Light Requirement: Sun
Soil Moisture: Dry
Soil Description: Dryish, serpentine rocks.
Conditions Comments: Easy for rock gardens.

Propagation

Description: Seed is easy to germinate using a gritty medium. Bulbs can be thinned in two or three years. Offsets may also be used to obtain new plants.
Commercially Avail: yes

Web Reference

Webref 30 - Calflora (2018) Calflora
Webref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
Webref 23 - Southwest Environmental Information Network (2009) SEINet - Arizona Chapter

Additional resources

USDA: Find Allium falcifolium in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Allium falcifolium in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Allium falcifolium

Metadata

Record Modified: 2023-04-10
Research By: TWC Staff

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