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Common Names
Nodding Onion, Lady's Leek
Botanical Name
Allium cernuum
Plant Family
Amaryllidaceae
Native Range
Native across Canada and the US.
Life Cycle
Perennial
Hardiness Zone
3-9
Habit
To 1ft tall with slender grass-like leaves and nodding umbels of star-shaped pink flowers. Often grown as an ornamental as well as a kitchen herb.
Sun/Soil
Full sun to partial sun, prefers well-drained soil but will tolerate most soil types.
Germination/Sowing
Nodding Onion can be direct sown in the garden in spring or fall, or started indoors in flats and then transplanted out.
Growing/Care
Nodding Onion is very drought tolerant and requires little to no water throughout the growing season once established.
Harvesting
Once the plants are mature they can be harvested by snipping to the ground with scissors. They will re-grow for several harvests throughout the season. The flowers can be collected individually. The flower stalks are to fibrous to use.
Culinary Uses
Leaves, bulbs, and flowers all can be used in a similar way to chives or scallions.
Medicinal Uses
Nodding Onion is antimicrobial and blood cleansing, it is also warming and help to increase circulation in the body.
Themes
Native Plant Garden, Attracts Pollinators, Deer Resistant, Kitchen Garden, Low Maintenance, Drought Tolerant, Rock Garden.