Nodding Onion, Allium cernuum

Nodding Onion, Allium cernuum 

Consortium of Midwest Herbaria

Seeds from Prairie Moon Nursery

Life Cycle:  Perennial
Sun Exposure:  Full, Partial
Soil Moisture:  Medium-Wet, Medium, Medium-Dry
Height:  18 inches
Bloom Time:  July, August
Bloom Color:  Purple
Advantages:  Pollinator Favorite: butterflies, bees and birds,  Deer Resistant 
USDA Zones: 3-8
Plant Spacing: 4-8"

Nodding Onion is stunning to have in gardens because of its unique flowers. A ball of star-like flowers forms on each stem, tending to bend downward; hence the name "nodding" onion.  The nodding habit may also protect the nectar from rain.

Native American tribes used the bulbs of Nodding Onion as a treatment for croup, colic, colds and fevers.  Allium cernuum blooms in midsummer, and the flowers are pollinated by small short-tongued bees, such as Halictid bees.  Nodding Onion, like all the Allium species, is deer-resistant.

Allium cernuum grows best in full or partial sun, and moist to medium conditions.  It tends to spread by seed and bulb offshoots.  The flowers are almost white to shades of purple in color and mature plants can reach up to 18" in height.  This plant is easy to grow, and will spread gradually under suitable conditions.