Data provided by the participants of the Consortium of California Herbaria

View additional distribution information on the Jepson eflora

Allium dichlamydeum is a species of wild onion known by the common name coastal onion. It is endemic to California where it grows on sea cliffs on the coastline in the northern half of the state. The coastal onion grows from a brown or gray bulb one to one and a half centimeters wide. It has a stout naked green stem surrounded by 3 to 6 long onion leaves. Atop the thick stem is an flower cluster of five to 30 flowers. Each flower has six oval-shaped dull-pointed petals in shades of bright magenta to fuchsia and each flower is about a centimeter wide.

Plant type

Perennial herb, Geophyte

Calscape icon
Color

Pink

Flowering season

Spring

Sun

Full Sun

Water

Moderate

Ease of care

Moderate

Soil drainage

Slow

Propagation

For propagating by seed: No treatment.

Sunset Zones

5, 14, 15, 16, 17*, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24

Site type

Dry clay soil on or sea cliffs

Plant communities

Mixed Evergreen Forest, Northern Coastal Scrub

Bats
Bees
Caterpillars
Butterflies

Butterflies and moths supported

0 confirmed and 14 likely

Confirmed Likely

Ipsilon Dart

Agrotis ipsilon

Alfalfa Looper Moth

Autographa californica

Soybean Looper Moth

Chrysodeixis includens