Allium unifolium
| Allium unifolium | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |   |
| Hardiness: | 8 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 2' |
| Width: | 0.3' |
| Blooms: | Early Summer-Mid Summer |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Allium unifolium (common name: one-leaved 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. The plants divide successfully at any time in the growing season, pot up the divisions in a cold frame or greenhouse until they are growing well and then plant them out into their permanent positions.
Cultivation: Prefers a hot dry sunny position in a light, rich well-drained soil[1][2]. This species is difficult to maintain under cultivation in Britain, our weather is probably too wet and cool for it to really thrive[3]. The plant has a summer resting period when it should be kept dry and so it is best grown in a cold greenhouse or bulb frame[4]. Placing a cloche over outdoor-grown plants in the summer, especially after flowering, will help to ripen the bulbs[3]. Most members of this genus are intolerant of competition from other growing plants[4].
This species is not fully hardy in Britain and is unlikely to survive in the colder parts of the country. It is only marginally hardy in N.W. England[4].
A new bulb is formed annually, the old one withering away[1].
Grows well with most plants, especially roses, carrots, beet and chamomile, but it inhibits the growth of legumes[5][6][7]. This plant is a bad companion for alfalfa, each species negatively affecting the other[8].
Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer[9].
Range: South-western N. America.
Habitat: Moist soils in pine or mixed evergreen forest in the coastal ranges of California[10][1].
Edibility: Bulb - raw or cooked[11][12][13]. The bulbs are 10 - 15mm in diameter[2]. Together with the young shoots, they are fried and eaten[14].
Leaves - raw or cooked[14].
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[6].
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
Also Known As: A. grandisceptrum.
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Phillips, Roger and Martyn Rix. Bulbs. Pan Books, 1989.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Brouk, Bohuslav. Plants Consumed by Man. Academic Press, 1975.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Davies, Dilys. Alliums: The Ornamental Onions. Batsford, 1992.
- ↑ Philbrick, Helen and Richard Gregg. Companion Plants. Watkins, 1979.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 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.
- ↑ Hitchcock, Leo. Vascular Plants of the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press, 1955.
- ↑ Yanovsky, Elias. Food Plants of the North American Indians Publication 237. US Department of Agriculture.
- ↑ Kunkel, Günther. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books, 1984.
- ↑ Moerman, Daniel. Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press, 1998.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.