Allium dichlamydeum

Coast onion

Family: Alliaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Coast onion is a California native perennial found in northern Coast Ranges and northern central Coast Ranges on or near sea cliffs at elevations of 50 to 150 meters. Flowering from May to July, this plant produces deep red-purple flowers in clusters of 5 to 30 blooms, each approximately 9 to 12 millimeters long. Growing with stout stems 10 to 30 centimeters tall, it emerges from a small ovoid bulb with distinctive herringbone-patterned outer layers. Its leaves are 3 to 6 in number, longer than the stem and channeled or nearly cylindrical in shape. The plant features unique ovate perianth parts with entire or dentate inner segments.

Habitat: dry clays on or near sea cliffs

Bloom period: May-Jul

Elevation: 50-150 m

Bioregions: NCo, n CCo.

California counties: Mendocino, San Francisco, Sonoma, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Marin, Mariposa, San Benito, Santa Barbara

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.