Allium stellatum
| Allium stellatum | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 6 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 2' |
| Blooms: | Mid Summer |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Allium stellatum (common name: prairie onion)
Propagation: Seed - sow spring 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 in spring. Very easy, the plants divide successfully at any time in the growing season and the divisions can be planted straight out into their permanent positions if required.
Cultivation: An easily grown plant, it prefers a sunny position in a rich moist but well-drained soil[1].
The bulbs should be planted fairly deeply[2]. Most members of this genus are intolerant of competition from other growing plants[1].
There is at least one named variety - 'Album' has white flowers[3].
Grows well with most plants, especially roses, carrots, beet and chamomile, but it inhibits the growth of legumes[4][5][6]. This plant is a bad companion for alfalfa, each species negatively affecting the other[7].
Closely allied to A. cernuum and to A. textile[2].
Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer[8].
Range: N. America - Illinois and Minnesota to Missouri, Nebraska and Kansas.
Habitat: Rocky prairies, slopes, shores and ridges[9]. Usually found on limestone soils[10].
Edibility: Bulb - raw or cooked[11]. The bulbs are eaten by the N. American Indians[12]. They are rather small, about 4cm tall and 15mm wide[13].
Leaves - raw or cooked.
Flowers - raw. Used as a garnish on salads.
Medicinal: A sweetened decoction of the root has been taken, mainly by children, as a remedy for colds[14].
Although no other 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[5].
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 very large quantities and by some mammals, of certain members of this genus. Dogs seem to be particularly susceptible[7
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Davies, Dilys. Alliums: The Ornamental Onions. Batsford, 1992.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ Philbrick, Helen and Richard Gregg. Companion Plants. Watkins, 1979.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 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.
- ↑ Lyndon, Merritt. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co, 1950.
- ↑ Diggs, George and Barney Lipscomb. Illustrated Flora of North Central Texas. Botanical Research Institute, 1999.
- ↑ Hedrick, Ulysses. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications, 1972.
- ↑ Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ Britton, Nathaniel and Addison Brown. An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada. Dover Publications, 1970.
- ↑ Moerman, Daniel. Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press, 1998.