Allium geyeri
| Allium geyeri | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 7 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 1' |
| Blooms: | Mid Spring-Late Spring |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Allium geyeri (common name: geyer's onion)
Propagation: Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse. The seed can also be sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle - if you want to produce clumps more quickly then put three plants in each pot. Grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter and plant them out into their permanent positions in spring once they are growing vigorously and are large enough.
Division of the plants in summer as they die down. The divisions can be planted direct into their permanent positions if required.
Cultivation: Prefers a sunny position in a light well-drained soil[1].
Plants are not hardy in the colder wetter conditions of N.W. Britain and are probably best grown in a bulb frame in most parts of the country[2].
The sub-species A. geyeri tenerum forms bulbils in its flowering head[2].
The bulbs should be planted fairly deeply[1]. Most members of this genus are intolerant of competition from other growing plants[2].
Grows well with most plants, especially roses, carrots, beet and chamomile, but it inhibits the growth of legumes[3][4][5]. This plant is a bad companion for alfalfa, each species negatively affecting the other[6].
Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer[7].
Range: Western N. America - Washington, Texas, Oregon, New Mexico, Nevada.
Habitat: Low meadows and by streams in the Rocky Mountains[8].
Edibility: Bulb - raw or cooked[8][9][10]. Used mainly as an onion-flavouring in soups etc, though they were also occasionally eaten raw[11]. The bulbs are eaten by the Navajo Indians[12]. The bulbs are 15 - 25mm in diameter[13].
Leaves - raw or cooked[8][9][10].
Flowers - raw. Used as a garnish on salads.
Medicinal: Although no specific mention of medicinal uses has been seen for this species, members of this genus are in general very healthy additions to the diet. They contain sulphur compounds (which give them their onion flavour) and when added to the diet on a regular basis they help reduce blood cholesterol levels, act as a tonic to the digestive system and also tonify the circulatory system[K].
Usage: The juice of the plant is used as a moth repellent. The whole plant is said to repel insects and moles[4].
Pollinators: Bees, insects
Soil: Can grow in light and medium soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Known Hazards: Although no individual reports regarding this species have been seen, there have been cases of poisoning caused by the consumption, in large quantities and by some mammals, of certain members of this genus. Dogs seem to be particularly susceptible[14].
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Davies, Dilys. Alliums: The Ornamental Onions. Batsford, 1992.
- ↑ Philbrick, Helen and Richard Gregg. Companion Plants. Watkins, 1979.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Riotte, Louise. Carrots Love Tomatoes. Garden Way, 1978.
- ↑ Hatfield, Audrey. How to Enjoy your Weeds. Frederick Muller Ltd, 1974.
- ↑ Allardice, Pamela. A-Z of Companion Planting. Cassell Publishers, 1993.
- ↑ Thomas, Graham. Perennial Garden Plants. J. M. Dent & Sons, 1990.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Harrington, Harold. Edible Native Plants of the Rocky Mountains. University of New Mexico Press, 1967.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Yanovsky, Elias. Food Plants of the North American Indians Publication 237. US Department of Agriculture.
- ↑ Moerman, Daniel. Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press, 1998.
- ↑ Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ Cooper, Marion. Poisonous Plants in Britain and their Effects on Animals and Man. The Stationery Office, 1984.