Allium yosemitense
Endemic to the central Sierra Nevada, this rare wild onion forms a 2–3 cm bulb, a scape up to 23 cm tall, two long flat leaves, and an umbel of up to 50 white or pink flowers.
Common Names
Yosemite Onion
Summary
Yosemite onion is a perennial bulbous herb in the Amaryllidaceae, endemic to the central Sierra Nevada of California, with most populations in Yosemite National Park. It grows from a bulb 2–3 cm long, has a scape up to 23 cm tall, and two long flat leaves usually longer than the scape; the umbel contains up to 50 white or pink flowers on pedicels over 3 cm, forming a white to pink floral display, blooming from April to July at elevations of 535–2,200 m, in interior chaparral and foothill woodlands, Sierra Nevada lower montane forest (Yellow Pine Forest), and Mediterranean lower montane black oak-conifer forest (Mixed Evergreen Forest).
Cultivation and practical notes: it grows in full sun with moderate water on open rocky slopes within California; it is California Rare Plant Rank 1B.3 and Global Rank G3 (state rank S3), with 14 known occurrences in Mariposa and Tuolumne counties (Quads Ascension Mtn., Buckingham Mtn., El Capitan, El Portal, Wawona); threats include erosion/runoff, mining, road/trail construction/maintenance, and recreational use.
Lifecycle
Perennial
Height
9 inches
Sunlight Requirements
Ideally full sun.
Soil Type
Granitic soils, rocky soils (open, rocky slopes)
Bloom Color
White or pink
Bloom Time
Spring and Summer
Fall Foliage Color
Yellow
Growth Rate
Perennial
Seasons of Interest
Spring and Summer
Attracts Wildlife
Attracts bees, butterflies, and other pollinators
Taxonomy
- Taxonomic Rank
- Species
- Author
- Eastw.
- Publication
- Leafl. W. Bot. 1: 132 (1934)
Superior Taxa
- Kingdom
- Plantae
- Subkingdom
- Pteridobiotina
- Phylum
- Angiosperms
- Order
- Asparagales
- Family
- Amaryllidaceae
- Genus
- Allium