Allium stellatum Prairie Onion Fall Glade Onion
Seed & Plants
(AL-ee-um  stel-LA-tum)
Easyliving Native Perennial Wildflowers
Native Wild Flower Seeds & Potted Plants for Home Landscaping and Prairie Restoration

Allium stellatum, known as Prairie Onion or Fall Glade Onion, is an excellent choice for the rock garden.   The attractiveness of this flower is created by delightfully impressive clusters of deep reddish pink flowers atop 12-18 inch stems.  Each small flower has 6 pointed star-like petals, with 6 yellow stamens that extend beyond the petals providing beautiful color contrast.  Plant in average, well drained soil in full sun with Showy Beardtongue, Missouri Black-eyed Susan, and Glade Coneflower.  This native wildflower is an excellent addition to the rock garden and is not invasive.

Allium stellatum Prairie Onion photo by cj 

For other flowers visit the wildflower seed list , to order copy the order form or 
email questions, comments, and orders to john@easywildflowers.com

We have Allium stellatum (Prairie Onion) plants available, $4.00 each plus UPS shipping.  Plants are shipped on Monday/Tuesday by UPS.  Shipping costs are determined by your zip code & the weight of your order.  Please contact us by email for shipping charges on potted plants.
Allium stellatum Prairie Onion, Fall Glade Onion seeds are available.

Native Allium stellatum Prairie Onion seed germination is improved after a pretreatment of 3 to 4 weeks of cold moist stratification or when planted outside in the fall or winter. Part of the seeds will germinate without any pre-treatment.  Liliaceae (Lily Family)

Allium stellatum Native Prairie Onion wildflower plants occur naturally in limestone glades and dry prairies from Ohio and Ontario to Saskatchewan, south to Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas, Kansas, Texas and introduced in Indiana. 

The map below shows areas where Allium stellatum Native Prairie Onion grows wild but it can be planted and will grow over most of the United States.  
USDA plant hardiness zones 3 to 9.

Use the chart below for shipping charges on Allium stellatum Prairie Onion flower seeds, to order copy the order form or email questions, comments & orders to john

please contact us by email for shipping charges on potted plants

The minimum seed order amount is $10, this can be a combination of different seeds.

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Easyliving Wildflowers
PO Box  522
Willow Springs,  Mo.  65793
phone-fax 417-469-2611 
email - john@easywildflowers.com 

Allium stellatum prairie onion fall glade onion Plant distribution map complements of USDA, NRCS. 2001. The PLANTS Database, Version 3.1
  (http://plants.usda.gov). National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA.

Area Below
UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Allium stellatum is easily grown in average, dry to medium, well-drained soil in full sun to light shade. Best in full sun, but appreciates some light afternoon shade in hot summer climates. Best in rocky or sandy soils. Plants will naturalize by self-seeding and bulb offsets in optimum growing conditions. Deadhead flowers before seed set to help control any unwanted spread. Foliage persists to the time of or slightly past flowering in summer before dying back. Plants are easily grown from seed which should be planted in spring or from bulbs/bulb offsets which should be planted in autumn.

Noteworthy Characteristics:

Prairie onion is a Missouri native plant that occurs primarily in rocky soils on limestone glades and bluff ledges in the Ozark region of the State (Steyermark). It is also found on rocky prairies in parts of the Midwest and Great Plains where it is also sometimes commonly called prairie onion. It is a bulbous perennial which typically grows 12-18" tall. Features clumps of flat, narrow, grass-like leaves (to 12" tall) and tiny, starry, bell-shaped, reddish-pink flowers which appear in rounded clusters (umbels) atop erect, leafless scapes rising slightly above the foliage. Blooms in mid to late summer. Leaves often die back by the time of flowering. Leaves and flower scapes rise directly from the bulbs. All parts of this plant have an oniony smell when cut or bruised. Although the bulbs and leaves of this plant were once used in cooking (stews) or eaten raw, this species of allium is not generally considered to be of culinary value today. Bulbs were also used by early Americans as cough/cold remedies and as insect repellants. Stellatum means star-like in Latin in reference to the flower shape. Nodding wild onion (see Allium cernuum - Z580) is similar to this plant in size, culture and general appearance, except, as the common name suggests, the flower umbel nods. Foliage dies back in late summer.

Chippewa Drug (Cold Remedy)
Sweetened decoction of root taken, especially by children, for colds.

A 1-2 ft., chive-like perennial forming tufts of slender, solid leaves and stems. The green leaves appear in spring and die back as the flowering stalks appear. Umbels of rose-pink to lavender flowers form erect, 3-4 in. wide balls.

The bulbs of wild onions have a strong flavor but can be eaten raw or parboiled. Early explorers ate them, and they were also used by settlers to treat colds, coughs, and asthma, and to repel insects. Chives (A. schoenoprasum) has hollow leaves and long, narrow, sharply pointed, lavender petals; it was introduced from Europe in the northeastern United States and in Canada from Alberta to Newfoundland.

Use Wildlife: Prairie onion attracts butterflies.
Use Food: EDIBLE PARTS: Leaves, bulbs and bulblets. Field garlic (A. vineale) is too strong for most tastes. Gather leaves during spring and fall. Gather bulbs in the second year when they are large enough to use like cultivated onions. Flower stem bulblets are collected during the summer. Use as domestic onions, for seasoning or raw in salads. Bulbs can be used raw, boiled, pickled or for seasoning. Their strong taste can be reduced by parboiling and discarding the water. To freeze onions or garlic, one should coarsely chop, blanch two minutes, drain, pat dry and place them into plastic bags. The bulbs can also be dried for use as seasoning. Use flower bulbs to flavor soup or for pickling. (Poisonous Plants of N.C.)

The bulb of wild inions are very strong but can be eaten raw or parboiled. Early explorers ate them, and they were also used by the American settlers to treat colds, coughs, and asthma, and to repel insects. (Niering)
Warning: POISONOUS PARTS: All parts but causes only low toxicity if eaten; can be safely eaten in small amounts, large quantities not recommended. Symptoms may include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea. Toxic Principle: Sulfides. (Niering)
Conspicuous Flowers: yes