Allium hoffmanii
Endemic to northern California, this bulb-forming onion-family perennial grows from a brownish-red bulb 1–2 cm long with usually a single leaf and a short stem up to 10 cm, bearing a pink to purple inflorescence of up to 40 flowers with green veins on serpentine soils and blooming in June–July.
Common Names
Beegum Onion, Onion, Beegum
Summary
Beegum Onion is a perennial herb with a bulb, endemic to northern California, growing in serpentine soils of mountain ranges and rocky outcrops. Bulbs are usually solitary and ovoid (about 1–2 cm long), with a single leaf typically longer than the short stem up to 10 cm tall; the densely packed umbel bears 10–40 pink or purple flowers with greenish veining, stamens exserted with purple anthers, and flowers about 1 cm long, blooming June–July.
In cultivation, it prefers partial shade and moderate water, and occurs in serpentine clay habitats at elevations around 1100–1800 m. Height is about 4 inches tall; conservation status is apparently secure, and the plant supports bees, caterpillars, and butterflies.
Lifecycle
Perennial
Height
3.9-3.94 inches
Sunlight Requirements
Ideally partial shade.
Soil Type
Serpentine soils
Soil Drainage
serpentine-derived clay soils
Bloom Color
Pink to purple
Bloom Time
Summer
Leaf Lifecycle
Deciduous
Seasons of Interest
Summer
Propagation Methods
Seeds
Attracts Wildlife
Attracts bees and butterflies
Taxonomy
- Taxonomic Rank
- Species
- Author
- Ownbey ex Traub
- Publication
- Pl. Life 28: 63 (1972)
Superior Taxa
- Kingdom
- Plantae
- Subkingdom
- Pteridobiotina
- Phylum
- Angiosperms
- Order
- Asparagales
- Family
- Amaryllidaceae
- Genus
- Allium