Allium parvum

Dwarf onion

Family: Alliaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Dwarf onion is a California native perennial found in the Klamath Ranges, northern California high mountains, Sierra Nevada, and Great Basin in stony clay slopes and talus at elevations of 1,200 to 2,800 meters. Flowering from April to June, this plant produces delicate white to pink flowers in small clusters with 5 to 30 blooms. Growing with slender stems 3 to 12 centimeters tall, it emerges from a small oblique to ovoid bulb with a gray-brown outer coat. Its two distinctive leaves are flat, sickle-shaped, and typically 1.5 to 3 times the length of the stem. The plant's tiny ovary crests and delicate white or pink perianth parts give it a subtle and graceful appearance.

Habitat: Common. Stony clay slopes, talus

Bloom period: Apr-Jun

Elevation: 1200-2800 m

Bioregions: KR, CaRH, SNH, GB

California counties: Siskiyou, Plumas, Fresno, Nevada, Modoc, Alpine, Glenn, Placer, Shasta, Sierra, Lassen, Mono, Tulare, Trinity, Yolo

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