Allium howellii var. howellii

Howell's onion, Howell's onion, Howell's onion

Family: Alliaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 4.3

Howell's onion is a California native perennial ranked 4.3 by CNPS, found in southern Sierra Nevada foothills, Tehachapi Mountains, San Joaquin Valley, San Francisco Bay Area, southern Coast Ranges, and western Transverse Ranges on grassy slopes, including serpentine landscapes at elevations of 200 to 900 meters. Flowering from March to April, this plant produces pink to lavender flowers with white variants, arranged in clusters of 10 to 30 blooms with purple ovary crests. Growing with slender stems 20 to 35 centimeters tall, it emerges from underground bulbs with delicate, grass-like appearance. Its narrow leaves are typical of the onion family, emerging from the base in a linear, upright form. The flowers feature stamens that extend slightly beyond the perianth, creating a delicate and distinctive silhouette against grassy habitats.

Habitat: Common. Grassy slopes, including serpentine

Bloom period: Mar-Apr

Elevation: 200-900 m

Bioregions: s SNF, Teh, SnJV, SnFrB, SCoR, WTR.

California counties: San Benito, Kern, San Luis Obispo, Fresno, Kings, Santa Clara, Tulare, Merced, Ventura

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