by Marilee Henry
Nodding onion1 (Allium cernuum) is a perennial that is found in a variety of niches on both sides of the Cascades from coastal bluffs, meadows and prairies to open woods and rocky slopes, and from low to high elevations. This graceful member of the Amaryllidaceae family, which includes culinary favorites such as garlic, leeks, and chives, is also related to many popular garden exotics such as daffodils, narcissus, and amaryllis, to name a few.
All parts of nodding onion are edible raw or cooked. Indigenous people steamed or dried the bulbs eating them as delicacies and using them for flavoring fish and meat.
Though it prefers moist habitats, nodding onion can also survive in dryer ones, and does well in a range of soils from rich loams to sandy/rocky environments. Exposures can range from full sun to partial shade. This versatility makes it a great choice for PNW native gardens. Growing to a maximum of 1.5 feet tall from a slender bulb, this plant is perfect for flowerbed borders, rockeries, and containers.
Nodding onion is easily identified by its hanging heads of numerous pink to white flower clusters (umbels) on leafless green stems (scapes) that rise above the plant's several grass-like blades. Each flower is made up of 6 petals containing 6 yellow-tipped stamens protruding below the corolla. In fruit, the flowers become 3-celled capsules that, when dry, turn light brown containing black seeds that are easy to collect for propagation in the fall. Plant in groups of a dozen or more individuals as you would a pot of chives. Once established, bulbs can spread by growing clonal bulblets underground.
Being native, nodding onion will attract many beneficial insects to your landscape, especially native bees such as bumbles and sweat bees, honeybees, and other pollinators that can cling upside-down to the blooms. Hummingbirds are known to sip nectar from the inviting pink blossoms. This plant is also a host to the larvae of several species of hairstreak butterflies2 in our area. Bear and ground squirrels may dine on the bulbs, but reliable sources claim that deer and bunnies will avoid them like - onions!  Try planting them around tastier species as a deterrent…
Remember, "You are nature's best hope!" - Doug Tallamy, author of "Nature's Best Hope" and "Bringing Nature Home".
Marilee Henry
Kirkland Community Wildlife Habitat Team Member, Washington Native Plant Society (WNPS) Native Plant Steward, Green Kirkland Steward, Finn Hill Neighborhood Alliance Contributor
For more images, see https://burkeherbarium.org/imagecollection/taxon.php?Taxon=Allium%20cernuum
Allium cernuum as host to hairstreak butterflies
https://oregonflora.org/taxa/garden.php?taxon=2609#:~:text=Nodding%20onion%20is%20known%20for,has%20many%20additional%20interesting%20features