Allium obtusum
Red sierra onion
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Family: Alliaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Allium obtusum (Red sierra onion) is a native California herb in the Alliaceae family.
Red sierra onion is a California native perennial found in northern Coast Ranges, Cascade Range, northern and central Sierra Nevada Foothills, and Sierra Nevada at elevations between 1,000 to 3,000 meters. Flowering from May to July, this plant produces white or pink flowers in clusters with 6 to 60 blossoms, each 4 to 12 millimeters long. Growing with slender stems 1.5 to 17 centimeters tall, it emerges from a small ovoid bulb 1 to 2 centimeters in size. Its one to two leaves are relatively long, measuring one to four times the length of the stem, with a narrow, grass-like appearance. The plant's distinctive ovary features three subtle, two-lobed crests that give it a delicate, refined structure.
Habitat and range
California counties: Fresno, Tulare, Inyo, Alpine, Butte, Nevada, Plumas, Kern, Tuolumne, El Dorado, Mariposa, Siskiyou, Amador, Placer, Shasta, Mono, Calaveras, Mendocino, Sierra
Outside California: southwestern Oregon, Nevada.
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 obtusum native to California?
Yes. Allium obtusum is native to California (recorded as native).
Where in California does Allium obtusum grow?
Allium obtusum occurs in Fresno, Tulare, Inyo, Alpine, Butte, Nevada, Plumas, Kern and other counties.
What plant family does Allium obtusum belong to?
Allium obtusum is in the Alliaceae family, genus Allium.
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.