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  Photo: Wild Garlic  Image result for allium canadense

  Allium canadense.jpg    Allium canadense seeds.jpg

 

NAME:  Wild Onion

SPECIES / FAMILY:  Allium Canadense / Amaryllidaceae

OTHER COMMON NAME(S):  meadow garlic, Canada onion

CONDITIONS: sun
 

PARTS:

EDIBLE cid:image001.jpg@01D3EC3E.A305A520

TASTE

RAW/COOK

SEASON

All

 

 

 

 

Shoots

 

 

 

 

Leaves

cid:image001.jpg@01D3EC3E.A305A520

onion

RAW/COOK

all year

Buds/Flowers

cid:image001.jpg@01D3EC3E.A305A520

garlic

RAW

Spring-Summer

Fruits

 

 

 

 

Roots

cid:image001.jpg@01D3EC3E.A305A520

garlic

RAW/COOK

Spring best

Seeds

 

 

   

Nuts

 

 

 

 

Pods

 

 

 

 

Stalk

 

 

 

 

Bark

 

 

 

 

 

PORTION: small, herb

 

COMMENT: Winter is the easiest time to spot wild onion, although you can harvest it any time. // All parts are edible, either raw or cooked and can be used as a vegetable or as a flavoring in soups, stews, and salads.  The bulbs can also be pickled. Flowers are best eaten raw with a bit stronger flavor than the leaves, especially as the seeds begin to form. Some forms of this species produce bulbils. These top-setting bulbils make a fine onion flavored pickle. They are said to have a superior flavor to other pickled onions.(1)

 

For differences between wild garlic and wild onion, see complete text at bottom:

CAUTION:

 

NUTRITION/MEDICINAL:  Antiasthmatic;  Carminative;  Cathartic;  Diuretic;  Expectorant;  Stimulant.(1) Also: https://www.webmd.com/diet/features/onions-full-of-nutrients

 

LOOK-A-LIKES:  Wild Garlic - http://www.wildfoodies.org/Garlic.htm

 

POISONOUS LOOK-A-LIKES:  Star of Bethlehem - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ornithogalum_umbellatum

 

OTHER USES:

 

SOURCE LINKS (may include nutritional and medicinal info, plus other uses):

  1. https://pfaf.org/user/plant.aspx?LatinName=Allium+canadense

  2. http://www.eattheweeds.com/allium-canadense-the-stinking-rose-2

  3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allium_canadense

  4. https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?search=Allium+canadense&title=Special:MediaSearch&go=Go&type=image

  5. http://www.foragingtexas.com/2008/08/onion-wild.html  (good photos)

  6. https://www.quirkyscience.com/you-can-eat-onion-grass (recipe)

  7. https://www.baltimorebrew.com/2013/02/20/a-lawn-weed-thats-a-scallion-substitute (recipe)

      Wild garlic Allium vineale L. vs. Wild onion Allium canadense L. Liliaceae (Lily family) Life cycle Perennial. Leaves of wild garlic are hollow and branch off the main stem. Leaves of wild onion are flat, not hollow, and emerge from the base of the plant. Leaves of both plants are thin, green and waxy, and can be confused with grasses when young. Stems Wild garlic stems occur singly, are hollow and branched into leaves. Wild onion stems occur in bunches, are not hollow and not branched. Both emit a garlic odor when crushed or cut. Wild garlic flowers may be green or purple; wild onion flowers are generally white or pink and are found on top of solid flowering stems. In both species, flowers are often replaced by aerial bulbs. Reproduction Aerial and underground bulblets primarily, occasionally seed. Wild garlic bulbs have a thin membranous covering. Wild onion bulbs have a net-veined covering. https://www.canr.msu.edu/ipm/uploads/files/Field_Crops_PDFs/wild_garlic_vs_wild_onion.pdf