Garden Onion
Allium cepa
- Native to:
- Guam, Palau, Turkmenistan, U.S. Minor Outlying Islands
Wikimedia: Colin
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Amaryllidaceae
- Genus:
- Allium
- Species:
- Allium cepa
- USDA Symbol:
- ALCE
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Geophyte
- Height:
- 120 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun
- Drought Tolerance:
- Medium
- Bloom Months:
- jun,jul,aug
- Bloom Colors:
- white, greenish-white
- Food Forest:
- Contains edible parts
Wildlife Benefits
- Bees:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Documented bee visitation (GBIF)
- Caterpillars:
- ★★★☆☆ Recorded caterpillar host plant (HOSTS Database)
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), 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)
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- bees, beneficial insects
- Deer Resistant:
- Yes
- Fragrant:
- Yes
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
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- None required
- Germination Time:
- 7–14 days
- Notes:
- Requires temperatures between 10-30°C for optimal germination. Light not required for germination.
ORGHPS Germination Guide: Seed viability < 1 year for cold germinators except for A. cristophii