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Allium stellatum Fraser ex Ker Gawl. Prairie onion
Prairie onion is native to North American prairies. Identification: Plants are 12-18" (30-45 cm) high, growing in sandy soil. Like all members of this genus, plants have a distinct onion/garlic odor. Leaves are few, grasslike, near the base. They die back when the flower stalks grow. Flowers are rose-pink to lavender, in umbels that are ball-shaped, 2-3" (5-7.6 cm) around. Each individual flower is about ¼" (6.3 mm) in size. Sometimes the flowerhead is tipped over—"nodding"—making these plants resemble nodding onion (Allium cernuum). Bulbs are oval or cone-shaped, 1½" (4 cm) × ½" (1.5 cm) in size. Edibility: Bulbs are edible, but very strong in flavor, and can be eaten when boiled. The leaves are edible, either raw or cooked, and the flowers made a good garnish on salads. Online References:
The University of Wisconsin's Robert W. Freckmann Herbarium The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Plants for a Future, a resource and information centre for edible and otherwise useful plants
Allium stellatum description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 25 May 2020.
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5/15/2010 · Garden in the Woods, Framingham, Massachusetts Range:
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