Allium amplectens
Slim-leaf onion, also known as narrowleaf onion, flaunts tiny clusters of 10 - 50 white to light pink, umble-shaped blooms that are sure to brighten your late spring and early summer days. Be sure to plant this lovely wild onion in multiples to create attractive drifts that can successfully attract and support pollinators.
- Plant type/canopy layer: deciduous, perennial, herbaceous plant
- Size at maturity: 0-12" tall, 0-12" wide
- Light requirements: full sun to mostly sunny
- Moisture requirements: seasonally wet or moist soil in winter, dry in summer
- Bloom time: May - July
- Growth rate/ease: moderate growth rate, easy to grow
- Wildlife support: flowers attract and provide nectar to hummingbirds, adult butterflies, bees and other insect pollinators; overall plant attracts and supports beneficial and pest eating insects
- Native habitat/range: locally common in arid areas that are wet in the late winter and spring such as dry rocky slopes, shrub-steppe, and vernal/wet meadows, from sea-level to elevations of 2300m, from California to British Columbia. Portland Plant List - yes.
- Special features & uses: pollinator favorite; repels garden pests; deer resistant; landscape uses include meadowscapes, pollinator gardens, raingardens and rock gardens
What to Expect + Gardening with Slim-leaf Onion: For spring orders, depending on the weather and the date of your order pick-up, bulbs may be just emerging or already done for the season. Alliums are generally less fussy and can easily be planted in spring, as long as it's done with care. For fall orders, you can expect what looks like a pot of dirt. The bulb inside will likely appear shriveled, which is its normal, dormant fall look. Fall is generally considered an excellent time to plant bulbs.
Plant in full sun, or mostly-sunny areas, preferably with well-drained clay soil that is wet to moist in the winter, moist during the growing/blooming season, then dries out completely in late summer/fall. Bulblets reproduce easily and form dense clusters that can be divided either before or after they bloom. It also spreads slowly by seed over time.
Photo Credits: Seven Oaks Natives