Garden Onion
Allium cepa
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Amaryllidaceae
- Genus:
- Allium
- Species:
- Allium cepa
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Geophyte
- Height:
- 1-2 ft
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun
- Drought Tolerance:
- High
- Bloom Months:
- mar, apr, may, jun, jul, aug
- Bloom Colors:
- white
- Food Forest:
- Plant contains edible parts
- Landscaping Shrub:
- Yes
Native Range
United States: Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Guam, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maine, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Palau, South Carolina, Texas, U.S. Minor Outlying Islands, Vermont, Wisconsin
Host Plant for Caterpillars
Agrotis orthogonia, Alfalfa Looper (Autographa californica), Army cutworm (Euxoa auxiliaris), Armyworm moth (Pseudaletia unipuncta), beet armyworm (Spodoptera exigua), Beet Webworm (Loxostege sticticalis), Black cutworm (Agrotis ipsilon), clover cutworm (Agrotis gladiaria), currant bud moth (Acrolepia assectella), darksided cutworm (Euxoa messoria), Euxoa punctigera, Euxoa tessellata, Eversmann's rustic (Actebia fennica), Fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda), fruit-tree leafroller (Archips argyrospila), Pyrausta sp., rascal dart moth (Agrotis malefida), Salt Marsh Moth (Estigmene acrea), Setaceous Hebrew Character (Xestia c-nigrum), Variegated cutworm (Peridroma saucia), Virginia Tiger Moth (Spilosoma virginica), Western yellowstriped armyworm (Spodoptera praefica), Yellow-striped armyworm (Spodoptera ornithogalli), zebra caterpillar moth (Melanchra picta)
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- rich, well-drained loamy soil
- pH:
- 6.0 - 7.0 (slightly acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- excellent drainage required
- Moisture:
- consistently moist
- Notes:
- prefers fertile soil with good organic matter