NORTHWEST COAST NATURE Wild Alliums

Nodding Onion © Luna Loiseau-Tremblay

LUNA LOISEAU-TREMBLAY

AS THE SUMMER wears on, it becomes clear how fortunate we are on Vancouver Island that we have experienced a wet spring and what has been a cooler, damp summer, at least in the first half. The surrounding environment is in stark contrast to last year's heat dome, resulting in the death of many intertidal species and singed, dried out native flora.

One of the noticeable differences in species this summer, for me, has been Ocean Spray, Holodiscus discolor, a common understory shrub. Last year, the flowers were a disconcerting, crispy brown, while this year we are back to fluffy, creamy white floral displays, attracting a large variety of native bees and butterflies.

Among so many other species, this year has also been particularly good for the native Allium species. While Allium to many people is the genus which contains onions, garlic, leeks, scallions, chives and shallots, in relation to our surrounding environment, it is the genus in which some of the beautiful dry-bluff dwelling pollinator plants fall into as well. In BC, we have six species of flowering onions that are native to the province.

Hooker’s Onion, Allium acuminatum, is a beautiful species of wild onion with magenta coloured blooms, flowering from May-July. The flowers are at the top of a long stalk, with leaves having dried out by the time it is flowering. This species is a perennial bulb, and on eastern Vancouver Island it grows in dry rocky areas, open dry forests and mossy bluffs that dry up in the summer. This species is extremely drought tolerant, sometimes growing in very shallow soil or the top few inches of moss on a rocky ledge. Hooker’s Onion is a slightly rare species, although it can be numerous in the areas it occurs in. It is attractive to bees and other insects, and can be easily grown in rock gardens and

dry perennial beds. The bulb of Hooker’s Onion is edible, as is the stalk, but harvesting this species is not advised due to the nature of its rarity.

Nodding Onion, Allium cernuum, is a lovely species of wild onion native to our area and is the most common Allium that can be seen growing in open and exposed grassy areas, in rocky ledges and crevices and often in dry open woods alongside Douglas Fir. A perennial bulb, the flowers of Nodding Onion are small, pink, bell-shaped, and in nodding clusters from slender stems, up to 20 inches tall. While this species is edible, it was eaten sparingly by local First Nations, as well as Hooker’s Onion. Both of these wild onions grow in the same habitat as Death Camas, which is poisonous to humans; it must be emphasized that correct identification of the bulbs is extremely important. Nodding Onion is attractive to bees, butterflies and is also adapted to drought-like conditions. In my own home garden, it grows happily in dry clay pots with little water, intermixed with other native species such as Oregon Stonecrop, Small headed clover, and Field Chickweed.

The last wild onion of mention that can be seen locally, albeit in very few locations in our area, is the lovely Slim Leaf Onion, Allium amplectens. This species of Allium is blue-listed in BC, meaning that it is a species of special concern because it may be especially vulnerable to natural or human caused disturbance. Slim Leaf Onion grows from a slender stalk topped with a cluster of showy white flowers streaked with light pink and is very attractive to many different pollinator species. It also grows happily in rocky, moss covered bluffs that are wet in the winter and spring but dry in the summer. If this species is growing in a habitat, it is usually an indication that the area is a diverse, high quality native plant habitat. A. amplectens is a lovely and easily grown addition to a full sun rock garden, flower pots or flower bed.

All of these wild onion species can be purchased from native plant nurseries such as Streamside Native Plants in Bowser or Satinflower Nurseries in Victoria. It is more important than ever to consider planting native plants instead of ornamentals, as plants that are native to an area contribute hugely to the health of a habitat in every way and can help us all in our desire to heal nature areas that have been greatly impacted by human disturbance and development.

Hooker's Onion © Luna Loiseau-Tremblay

Nodding Onion © Luna Loiseau-Tremblay