Allium platycaule

Broad stemmed onion

Family: Alliaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Broad stemmed onion is a California native perennial found in northern Sierra Nevada Mountains, Modoc Plateau, and high Cascade Range on rocky or sandy slopes at elevations of 1,500 to 2,500 meters. Flowering from May to June, this plant produces bright pink to rose flowers in dense clusters with 30 to 90 individual blossoms. Growing with stout stems 7 to 25 centimeters tall that are distinctively flat and winged, it emerges from a small ovoid bulb. Its two leaves are sickle-shaped, nearly twice the length of the stem and flat in profile. The flowers feature lance-linear perianth parts with long-pointed tips that spread while in bloom and become erect when setting fruit.

Habitat: Common. Rocky or sandy slopes

Bloom period: May-Jun

Elevation: 1500-2500 m

Bioregions: CaRH, n SNH, MP

California counties: Modoc, Lassen, Nevada, Plumas, Placer, Butte, Mono, Tehama, Sierra, El Dorado, Shasta, San Luis Obispo, San Francisco

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