Wild Onion (3)
Wild Onions, as their name implies, smell and taste like garlic/onions. Their bulbs can be eaten raw or cooked.
Brandegee's Onion
Allium brandegeei
Family: Amaryllis (Amaryllidaceae)
AKA:
Photo taken on:
June 14, 2005
Location:
Snodgrass, GV, CO
Life Zones:
Montane to subalpine
Habitat:
Dry, sandy, rocky slopes
Flowers have white petals with red veins and grow in a dense cluster. Flower stems are shorter than leaves and grow close to the ground.
Flora of North America reference.
Largeflower Onion
Allium macropetalum
Family: Amaryllis (Amaryllidaceae)
AKA:
Large-Petal Onion, Wild Onion, Desert
Onion
Photo taken on:
May 7, 2014
Location:
Plaza Blanca, Abiquiu, NM
Life Zones:
Plains and foothills
Habitat:
Dry, sandy, rocky soils
Grows to 8" high in colonies from bulbs buried up to 6" deep. Leaves are slender and grass-like and extend beyond the flower stems. Bell-shaped flowers grow in rounded clusters about 1" across. The flowers are about ½" long and have 6 white or pinkish petals with a reddish-purplish stripe. The bracts below the cluster have 3 to 5 veins which different this species from the Wild Onion below. This is the common onion of the arid lower elevations of New Mexico.
Flora of North America reference.
White Wild Onion
Allium textile
Family: Amaryllis (Amaryllidaceae)
AKA:
Textile Onion, Prairie Onion, Sand Onion
Photo taken on:
May 30, 2016
Location:
Wet Mountains, Eastern CO
Life Zones:
Plains and foothills
Habitat:
Dry, sandy areas
Grows to 12" high in patches with slender, grass-like leaves that are up to 9" long. Tiny flowers are about ¼" long and grow in clusters about 1" across. The flowers are white or pinkish with a reddish-purplish stripe. At the base of the cluster are 3 bracts, usually with a single vein. Overall this plant is taller and the flowers smaller than the Wild Onions above.
Flora of North America reference.