19 species
4 subspecies and varieties
Show only taxa with photos
Scientific name
Common name
– taper-tip onion
Distribution: Widely distributed on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east to Wyoming.
Habitat: Balds, grasslands, rocky outcroppings, dry slopes, and other open areas from low to middle elevations in the mountains.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
– narrow-leaf onion
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California.
Habitat: Dry slopes and open meadows at low to middle elevations.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
– rosy Sierra onion
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest where known from Yakima County in Washington; Washington to California, east to Nevada.
Habitat: Dry soils at medium to high elevations.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
– nodding onion
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to Oregon, east to the Rocky Mountains; also in central and southeastern U.S.
Habitat: Open, somewhat moist areas, sea level to high elevations in the mountains.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
– Columbia onion
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in far eastern Washington; Washington to Idaho and Montana.
Habitat: Seasonally wet soils on rock outcrops, wet meadows.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
– Grand Coulee onion
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Grant and Douglas counties in Washington.
Habitat: Shallow, vernally-moist soils in low, open areas.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
– scalloped onion
Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to Oregon.
Habitat: Forest openings and mountain meadows, moderate to high elevations.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
– Blue Mountain onion
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington, where endemic to Columbia County.
Habitat: Open, fairly dry, rocky areas at low to middle elevations.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
– Douglas' onion
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in southeastern Washington; southeastern Washington to eastern Oregon.
Habitat: Open, vernally-moist areas at low to moderate elevations.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
– Cuddy Mountain onion, fringed onion
Distribution: Occurring chiefly in the southeastern counties of Washington; Washington east to Montana, south to Oregon.
Habitat: Moist, shallow soils in the mountains.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
–
Geyer's onion
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; southern Vancouver Island to Arizona, east to the Rocky Mountains and northern Great Plains.
Habitat: Low meadows and along streams.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-June
Growth Duration: Perennial
– Geyer's onion
– bulbil onion, Rydberg's onion
– rock onion
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; central Washington to southern Oregon and southwestern Idaho.
Habitat: Lithosol and barren, gravelly soils in the shrub-steppe.
Origin: Native
Flowers: April-May
Growth Duration: Perennial
– Nevius's garlic, Nevius's onion
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in central Washington; Chelan County, Washington to Wasco County, Oregon
Habitat: Vernally wet meadows and rocky soils at low to middle elevations.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
– Robinson's onion
Distribution: Near the Columbia River in Washington; Washington south to north-central Oregon.
Habitat: Sand and gravel near the river to rocky, even lithosol benches.
Origin: Native
Flowers: April-May
Growth Duration: Perennial
– garlic
Origin: Introduced from Old World, exact origin unknown
– chives
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to Oregon and Nevada, east to the Rocky Mountains, further east across Canada to the Great Lakes region and eastern North America.
Habitat: Wet meadows, rocky or gravelly streambanks and lake shores
Origin: Both native and introduced populations
Flowers: April - August
Growth Duration: Perennial
– fragile onion, scilla-like onion
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest, where endemic in Washington from Douglas to Klickitat counties.
Habitat: Scablands and dry, barren, gravelly soils.
Origin: Native
Flowers: March-April
Growth Duration: Perennial
–
Tolmie's onion
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in southeastern Washington; southeastern Washington to adjacent western to Idaho, south to northeastern California.
Habitat: Rocky, gravelly or clayey soils, generally with sparse cover.
Origin: Native
Flowers: April-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
– Tolmie's onion
– Pacific onion, swamp onion
Distribution: Occurring at Mount Rainier in Washington, where disjunct; Washington to California, east to Idaho and northern Nevada.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
– wild chives, crow garlic, wild garlic
Distribution: Occurring chiefly west of the Cascades crest in Washington; southwestern British Columbia to California; also in eastern North America.
Habitat: Disturbed areas.
Origin: Introduced from Europe
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial