Allium hickmanii

Hickman's onion, Hickman's onion, Hickman's onion

Family: Alliaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.2

Hickman's onion is a rare (CNPS 1B.2) California native perennial found in central Coast Ranges on the Monterey Peninsula and San Luis Obispo County, growing on grassy, wooded slopes at approximately 50 meters elevation. Flowering from March to May, this plant produces white to pale pink flowers 5 to 7 millimeters long in small clusters of 4 to 15 blossoms. Growing with slender stems 5 to 17 centimeters tall, it emerges from a small ovoid bulb 8 to 12 millimeters wide. Its two leaves are approximately cylindrical and grow to about one and a half times the height of the stem. The delicate flower clusters feature lanceolate perianth parts that spread initially and become erect when the fruit develops.

Habitat: Grassy, wooded slopes

Bloom period: Mar-May

Elevation: +- 50 m.

Bioregions: c CCo (Monterey Peninsula Arroyo de la Cruz, San Luis Obispo Co.).

California counties: Monterey, San Luis Obispo, Kern, Sonoma

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