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Scytheleaf onion

Allium falcifolium

Last reviewed: August 2026

Scytheleaf onion (Allium falcifolium)
Photo: (c) Tom Hilton, some rights reserved (CC BY)

Light

full sun

Water

low

Size

4"–8" H × 4"–8" W

Bloom

May, Jun, Jul

Native to

CA, OR

Pollinators

bees

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A small bulb-forming perennial with a pair of curved, sickle-shaped gray-green leaves and a tight rounded umbel of rose-purple star flowers. It grows in thin, rocky soils and goes fully dormant after flowering.

Wildlife value

The summer flowers are a nectar source for native bees on otherwise sparsely vegetated rocky ground.

Common questions

How much sun does Scytheleaf onion need?
Scytheleaf onion grows best in full sun conditions.
When does Scytheleaf onion bloom?
Scytheleaf onion blooms in May, June, and July.
Where is Scytheleaf onion native?
Scytheleaf onion (Allium falcifolium) is native to CA, OR, per vouchered herbarium specimen records and regional native plant society lists.
What pollinators does Scytheleaf onion attract?
Scytheleaf onion draws bees.

Native range data from vouchered herbarium specimen records and regional native plant society lists. Pollinator and host plant associations compiled from GBIF, iNaturalist, and published ecological literature.

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