Allium canadense (Wild onion) is an edible native perennial.
Wild onion, also known as “meadow garlic”, can be found in meadows, fields, forests, and lawns. It has solid leaves and grows from a bulb. Each flowering plant will have three leaves. The flowers bloom in late spring to summer and are white or pink. The entire plant will smell like onion when crushed.
Wild onions spread by bulb offsets or aerial bulblets. They rarely produce seeds.
The entire wild onion plant is edible. It has a mild onion flavor. The greens can be used instead of chives. Bulbs can be foraged sparingly in the summer. If foraging bulblets, be sure to re-plant some.
Wild onion has traditionally been rubbed on the skin for use as an insect repellent. The plant has also been eaten to treat colds and coughs.
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Written by Amy Demers, founder of the Connecticut Foraging Club. To learn more about foraging in Connecticut, check out our upcoming classes.
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