Common names:
Hookers onion, tapertip onion
Family:
Scientific name:
Allium acuminatum
Main flower color:
Range:
Pacific Northwest and north California, south to Arizona and (northwest) New Mexico
Height:
Up to one foot
Habitat:
Clearings and sunny areas in scrubland and pine woodland; up to 5,000 feet
Leaves:
Narrow, up to 6 inches long, growing only at the base, and often absent by the time the flower appears
Season:
May to July
The delicate pink flowers of allium acuminatum grow at the end of a short, leafless, greenish brown stem, and form a spherical cluster (umbel), containing between 10 and 40 branches. Each bell-shaped (campanulate) flower head has 6 small tetals, tapering to a point. The plant is relatively common and has a wide distribution, from Washington to southeast Arizona, favoring middle elevation areas. Like most allium species, the plants have edible bulbs, and a strong onion smell.
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