Allium canadense (Canadian Meadow garlic)

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Allium, Genus, canadense, Species,

Genus & species

Canadian meadow garlic

Amaryllidaceae Eastern and central North America

Attracts Pollinators Deer Resistant Drought Tolerant

SunFull Sun – Part Shade

WaterMedium · drought-tolerant

HardinessZones 3–8

Overview

Allium canadense is a bulb-forming perennial 8-24 inches (20-60 cm) tall, growing from a single egg-shaped bulb wrapped in fibrous, net-like coats. Several grass-like, flat to channeled leaves 8-12 inches (20-30 cm) long rise from the base and carry an onion-garlic scent when crushed. In late spring a leafless stalk bears a rounded umbel that usually holds a cluster of small aerial bulbils, often mixed with or replaced by star-shaped pink to white flowers 0.25 inch (6 mm) across on slender stalks. The bulbils sprout while still on the stalk, weighing it down so it bends to the ground and roots nearby. Flowering and bulbil formation run from May through July. Foliage yellows and dies back by midsummer as the plant enters dormancy. It spreads by bulb offsets, aerial bulbils, and seed, forming dense patches over a few seasons. In lawns and crop fields the bulbils make it persistent and hard to remove.

Native Range

Native to eastern and central North America, from Quebec and Ontario south to Florida and west to Montana and Texas. Grows in moist meadows, prairies, open woods, fields, and roadsides on a range of soils, often in disturbed ground.

Suggested Uses

Grown in native, meadow, and edible gardens, where the leaves and bulbs are used like cultivated onions and garlic. Suited to naturalizing in moist meadows and prairie plantings at 6-12 inch (15-30 cm) spacing. Its bulbil spread makes it suited to wild areas rather than tidy beds or lawns.

How to Identify

Recognized by grass-like leaves with an onion-garlic smell and an umbel that usually carries a cluster of aerial bulbils, sometimes with pink to white star-shaped flowers. The fibrous, net-like bulb coat separates it from Allium cernuum, which has a nodding flower cluster and no bulbils. Plants reach 8-24 inches (20-60 cm), with bulbils that sprout on the stalk.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height8" - 2'

Width/Spread6" - 1'

Colors

Flower Colors

pink

white

Foliage Colors

green

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~3 weeks

Flowers: May–July

Spring Summer

Flowers and bulbils form from May through July. Where flowers appear, each umbel blooms for about 2-3 weeks. Many plants produce mostly bulbils and few or no flowers. The foliage dies back soon after, by midsummer.

Detailed Descriptions

Flower Description

pink to white

Foliage Description

green

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunFull Sun SunPartial Shade

Requires 4-10 hours of direct sunlight daily

• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight

• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight

• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight

Soil Requirements

pH Range5.5 - 7.5 (Acidic to alkaline)

3579

Soil Types

clay loam sand

Drainageaverage

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Medium

Frost Tolerance

hardy

Drought Tolerance

Drought tolerant when established

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Grows in full sun to part shade in moist, average soils and tolerates clay, sand, and seasonal wetness. Water needs are low once established; the plant goes dormant by midsummer and needs no summer water. No fertilizer is required. It spreads by offsets, aerial bulbils, and seed, so patches widen quickly unless bulbils are removed before they drop. Few pests or diseases affect it. Onion or garlic odor can taint the milk of grazing livestock and the flavor of nearby crops.

Pruning

No pruning is needed. The flower or bulbil stalk can be cut before bulbils mature to limit spread. Dying foliage can be cleared once the plant enters summer dormancy.

Toxicity Warning

Toxic to cats and dogs if eaten; cats are especially susceptible, and raw, cooked or concentrated plant material can damage red blood cells and cause anaemia.

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