Prairie Onion

Plant Info

Also known as:	Autumn Onion, Pink Wild Onion, Prairie Wild Onion
Scientific name:	Allium stellatum
Family:	Lily (Liliaceae)
Life cycle:	perennial
Origin:	native
Habitat:	sun; dry fields, prairies, rocky areas
Bloom season:	summer
Plant height:	8 to 18 inches
USDA PLANTS database:	Minnesota county distribution map
Spotted in Ramsey County at:	Long Lake Regional Park

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Detailed Information

Flower:

1½ to 2-inch round cluster of ¼-inch flowers, pink to lavender with a spot of yellow in the center and long yellow-tipped stamen. Individual flowers have 3 petals and 3 sepals; looks like 6 petals.

Leaves and stem:

A few grass-like blades, about as long as the plant is tall, surround the base of the stem. A single flower cluster is at the top of the otherwise naked stem.

More photos

• full-size plant, about 10 inches tall

All photos taken at Long Lake Regional Park, New Brighton, MN August 2006.

Comments

Have you seen this plant in Ramsey County, or have any other comments about it?

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Please: Do not ask about where to buy seed or other gardening questions, are plants edible, etc. I am not a horticulturist or botanist, just an enthusiastic hobbyist so I probably don't know the answer. Please check the links page for additional resources. -thanks much

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