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Garden Onion

Allium cepa

Found in persisting from gardens, or appearing around compost or trash piles. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), South Central edition What its natural habitat tells you

—
Not native

Not native to Mississippi. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 82%

Height
1–1.5 feet
Spread
6 inches–1 foot
Light
Full sun
Soil moisture
Usually moist
See native alternatives

Plant this instead

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  • White Prairie Clover
    Dalea candida

    Sun: Full sun. Soil: Dry. Flowers: White.

    Similar growth form, height, spread

  • Mayapple
    Podophyllum peltatum

    Sun: Deep shade, Partial shade. Soil: Usually moist. Flowers: White.

    Similar growth form, height, spread

  • Twoleaf Miterwort
    Mitella diphylla

    Sun: Deep shade, Partial shade. Soil: Usually moist. Flowers: White.

    Similar growth form, height, spread

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At a glance

Life cycle
Perennial, from a bulb
Bloom
May to June
Fruiting season
July

Not yet recorded · Leaves

County records are not available.

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

17CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including MS

Genus host records with ranges including MS · Allium

  • Agrotis gladiariaSwordsman Dart, Clay-Backed Cut-Worm
  • Agrotis ipsilonIpsilon Dart, Black Cutworm, Greasy Cutworm
  • Agrotis malefidaRascal Dart, Pale-Sided Cut-Worm, Shagreened Cut-Worm
  • Anicla infectaGreen Cutworm Moth
  • Archips argyrospilaFruit-Tree Leafroller Moth
  • Ascia monusteGreat Southern White
  • Chrysodeixis includensSoybean Looper Moth
  • Elasmopalpus lignosellaLesser Cornstalk Borer
  • Estigmene acreaSalt Marsh Moth, Acrea Moth
  • Feltia subterraneaSubterranean Dart, Granulate Cutworm
Show all 17
  • Mythimna unipunctaArmyworm Moth, White Speck
  • Spilosoma virginicaVirginian Tiger Moth, Yellow Woolybear Moth, Yellow Bear
  • Spodoptera eridaniaSouthern Armyworm Moth
  • Spodoptera frugiperdaFall Armyworm Moth
  • Spodoptera latifasciaOrange-Striped Armyworm, Velvet Armyworm Moth
  • Spodoptera ornithogalliYellow-Striped Armyworm Moth, Cotton Cutworm
  • Xestia dolosaGreater Black-Letter Dart, Greater Spotted Cutworm
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
—BeesSoutheastern regional records
—Specialist beesPollen specialists
2BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Allium

  • Alectoris chukarChukar
  • Meleagris gallopavoWild Turkey
Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)

Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Alliaceae
Hardiness
Zones 5a–10b
Soil pH
Neutral to alkaline
Flower color
White
Fruit begins
July
Fruit ends
July

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope

Conservation status

Mississippi rankSNA
Global rankGNR
MS statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

Sources