"Plant with odor of onion. Bulb not divided into flat-sided segments; coat fibrous. Stems 1.5-5.5 dm tall. Leaves lustrous green, flat, the free portion 1-3 dm long, 2-6 mm wide, the sheathing portion 3-10 cm long, hence mostly low on the scape. Spathe 1.5-3 cm long, splitting into several segments, beak equaling or shorther than the body. Umbel usually a mixture of bulbils and flowers or completely on or the other, when bulbils are present the stem often proliferaties into several branches from the umbel, each with a small umbel; pedicels 1.2-3.5 cm long. Perianth rotate to broadly campanulate, segments pink to white, 5-7 mm long. Stamens and pistils shorter than the perianth lobes. Capsule smooth on top, 2-3 mm long, shorter than broad. Seeds triangular, black, finely reticulate with a papilla in the middle of each space, 1.5-2.5 mm long, about as long as broad. Mid April-May; late May-June." (Radford)
This species was first described and named by Carl Linnaeus (1707-1778), probably in his work Species Plantarum.
Manual of the Vascular Flora of the Carolinas by Radford, Ahles, and Bell includes this species in their key. (Radford)
(photo used by permission of UGA Herbarium, Athens, GA)
Description
Higher Taxa
Geography
Allium canadense L.
AREA STATUS REFERENCES
North America:
Continental United States; CanadaYes
Shetler and Skog, 1978
Eastern North America:
United States east of Mississippi;
Ontario and eastern CanadaYes Radford, Ahles & Bell, 1968
Southeastern United States:
AL AR DE DC FL GA KY MD NC SC TN VA WVYes Radford, Ahles & Bell, 1968
Southern Appalachian States:
AL GA KY MD NC SC TN VA WVYes Radford, Ahles & Bell, 1968
Coastal Plain yes Mellinger, 1984
Piedmont Common Mellinger, 1984
Blue Ridge Mountains yes Wofford, 1989
?
Ridge and Valley ?
Cumberland Plateau ?
Central Arch ?
Georgia Yes Mellinger, 1984
Clarke County, Georgia Yes Jones and Coile
Sams Farm ?
?
? -
?
?
Natural History
"Wild Garlic is so abundant in places as to appear like grass...the common name is inappropriate; they do not resemble true garlic. The bulbs are edible, with a good flavor." (Rickett, 1967).
This plant has been known to poison livestock and has caused horses to develop hemolytic anemia. It can also cause gastroenteritis in young children. (Munro).
Follow these links for more pictures of Allium canadense
http://www.bulbsociety.com/GALLERY_OF_THE_WORLD%27S_BULBS/GRAPHICS/Allium/Allium_canadense/A.canadense.html
http://www.csdl.tamu.edu/FLORA/mi07/mi07062.jpg How To Encounter
These plants are found in open woods, meadows, and prairies. (Rickett, 1967). They are often used as ornamentals, so don't be surprised to find this plant adding color to a garden.
References
web page by: Joy Marie Pease