Allium campanulatum
Dusky onion
(c) Alex Abair, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Alliaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Allium campanulatum (Dusky onion) is a native California herb in the Alliaceae family, recognized by purple crescent marks on perianth parts.
Dusky onion is a California native perennial found in the Klamath Ranges, North Coast Ranges, Cascade Range, Sierra Nevada, South Coast Ranges, Southwest California, and Modoc Plateau in dry mountain slopes at elevations of 600 to 2,600 meters. Flowering from May to August, this plant produces rose to purple flowers (occasionally white) with a distinctive purple crescent at the base of the perianth parts, arranged in clusters of 10 to 50 blooms. Growing with slender stems 10 to 30 centimeters tall, it emerges from a small ovoid bulb that often produces clustered bulblets at its base. Its two leaves are widely channeled and typically withered during flowering, approximately equal in length to the stem. The plant's distinctive bulb has uniquely wavy-walled outer cells, with inner layers ranging from pink to white.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 55 sympatric species - distinguished by purple crescent marks on perianth parts
Habitat and range
Habitat: dry mountain slopes
Elevation: 600-2600 m
California counties: Fresno, Kern, Butte, San Bernardino, Los Angeles, San Diego, Tuolumne, Placer, Santa Barbara, Mono, Humboldt, Trinity, Ventura, Tulare, Plumas, Siskiyou, Alpine, Shasta, El Dorado, Tehama, Madera, Calaveras, Nevada, Lassen, Lake, Mariposa, Inyo, Amador, Modoc, Sierra, Monterey, Riverside, Mendocino, Glenn, Stanislaus, San Luis Obispo, San Francisco, Yuba, Sacramento, San Benito
Outside California: Oregon, Nevada
Bloom period
Allium campanulatum blooms May-Aug.
How to tell it apart
vs Triteleia: Allium smells like onion when crushed; triplet lily has no smell.; vs Agapanthus: Allium smells like onion; lily-of-the-Nile has no smell and much larger flowers.; vs Dipterostemon: Allium smells like onion when crushed; ookow has no onion smell.; vs Nothoscordum: Allium smells like onion when crushed; false garlic has no smell.; vs Tulbaghia: Allium has flowers in tight umbels; society garlic has flowers in loose open clusters.
Frequently asked questions
Is Allium campanulatum native to California?
Yes. Allium campanulatum is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Allium campanulatum bloom?
Allium campanulatum blooms May-Aug.
Where in California does Allium campanulatum grow?
Allium campanulatum occurs in Fresno, Kern, Butte, San Bernardino, Los Angeles, San Diego, Tuolumne, Placer and other counties, at elevations of 600-2600 m.
What plant family does Allium campanulatum belong to?
Allium campanulatum is in the Alliaceae family, genus Allium.
What habitat does Allium campanulatum grow in?
Allium campanulatum grows in dry mountain slopes.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.