Allium canadense, theCanada onion,Canadian garlic,wild garlic,meadow garlic andwild onion[6] is a perennial plant native to easternNorth America[a] fromTexas toFlorida toNew Brunswick toMontana. The species is also cultivated in other regions as an ornamental and as a garden culinaryherb.[7] The plant is also reportedly naturalized in Cuba.[8]
The narrow, grass-likeleaves originate near the base of the stem, which is topped by a dome-like cluster of star-shaped, pink or whiteflowers. These flowers may be partially or entirely replaced bybulblets.[11] When present, the flowers arehermaphroditic (both male and female organs) and arepollinated by Americanbees (not honeybees) and otherinsects. It typically flowers in the spring and early summer, from May to June.[11][12][13][14][15][16]
Allium canadense var. hyacinthoides in theWichita Mountains of southwest Oklahoma.
The bulblet-producing form is classified asA. canadense var.canadense.[11] It was once thought that thetree onion could be related to this plant,[17] but it is now known that the cultivated tree onion is a hybrid between thecommon onion (A. cepa) andWelsh onion (A. fistulosum), classified asA. × proliferum.[18]
The Canada onion is cultivated as a vegetable in home gardens inCuba,[b] scattered locally in the south to western parts of the island. It was formerly collected from the wild to be eaten byNative Americans and by European settlers.[19] People in the Cherokee Nation and Chickasaw Nation continue the tradition of picking and cooking wild onions in early spring.[20] Various Native American tribes also used the plant for other purposes: for example, rubbing the plant on the body for protection from insect, lizard,scorpion, andtarantula bites.[21]
The whole plant can be eaten raw, with the tougher outer layers removed. It can also be cooked and included in any recipe calling for onions.[9] However, there have been reported cases of poisoning whendeathcamas bulbs were mistaken for wild onions.[22] Additionally, long term consumption of wild onion bulbs reducesiodine uptake by thethyroid gland. This can worseniodine deficiency for people with a diet that is low in iodine.[23] Horses are vulnerable to developinghemolytic anemia from eating wild onion leaves.[24]
^Elias, Thomas S.; Dykeman, Peter A. (2009) [1982].Edible Wild Plants: A North American Field Guide to Over 200 Natural Foods. New York:Sterling. pp. 58, 61.ISBN978-1-4027-6715-9.OCLC244766414.
^Correll, D. S.; Johnston, M. C. (1970).Manual of the Vascular Plants of Texas. Richardson: University of Texas at Dallas.
^Great Plains Flora Association, ed. (1986).Flora of the Great Plains. Lawrence: University Press of Kansas.
^Schwegman, J. E (1991). "The Vascular Flora of Langham Island, Kankakee County, Illinois".Erigenia.11:1–8.
^Voss, E. G. (1972). "Gymnosperms and Monocots".Michigan Flora. Bloomfield Hills, Michigan: Cranbrook Institute of Science.
^Wunderlin, R. P. (1998).Guide to the Vascular Plants of Florida. Gainesville: University Press of Florida.
^Food Resource, Oregon State University."ALLIUM CANADENSE, TREE ONION, WILD ONION". originally from Hedrick, U.P. ed., Sturtevant's Notes on Edible Plants (1919). Archived fromthe original on July 18, 2011. RetrievedFebruary 21, 2011.
^Hanelt, Peter (2001). "Alliaceae". In P. Hanelt (ed.).Mansfeld's Encyclopedia of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops (except ornamentals). Berlin: Spring-Verlag. p. 2250.ISBN3-540-41017-1.
^Moerman, David E. (1998).Native American Ethnobotany. Portland, OR: Timber Press. p. 57.ISBN0-88192-453-9.
^Padrez, Kevin A.; Stix, Benjamin L.; Cunningham, Cody A.; Abdalla, Abdelmohaymin; Oishi, Marisa; Cardy, Vanessa; Nordt, Sean Patrick (January 2025). "Acute death Camas (Toxicoscordion venenosum) plant poisoning in seven family members following foraging for wild onions".The American Journal of Emergency Medicine.87: 217.e1–217.e5.doi:10.1016/j.ajem.2024.10.027.
Media related toAllium canadense at Wikimedia Commons
Data related toAllium canadense at Wikispecies
