Allium sanbornii

Sanborn's onion

Family: Alliaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Sanborn's onion is a California native perennial found in rocky or open areas at elevations of 600 to 1,800 meters. Flowering from May to July, this plant produces white to deep pink flowers in clusters with 18 to 150 blooms, each flower 4 to 9 millimeters long with erect, ovate perianth parts. Growing 18 to 60 centimeters tall with a single cylindrical leaf equal to the stem height, it emerges from a small ovoid bulb with red-brown outer scales. Its distinctive bulb features light brown or white inner coats and produces flowers with prominent stamens that extend beyond the petals. The plant has six obvious ovary crests that are either entire or slightly notched at the tips.

California counties: Nevada, Tulare, Yuba, Ventura, Mariposa, Tuolumne, Butte, Yolo, Placer

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