"Prairie Onion" - Liliaceae Family

Allium is the ancient Latin name for garlic.

Perennial growing 1 to 2 feet; white to pink flowers at the top of an arching stem and blooming from July through August. Likes rocky woodland soils from New York to Georgia, west to Texas; west from Minnesota and Michigan to British Columbia.

Native American tribes (especially the Cherokee) used the bulbs of the Prairie Onion as a treatment for croup, colic, colds and fevers. Following a dose of Horsemint tea, the juice of the Prairie Onion was taken for kidney stones and dropsy. Poultices of this species were often applied as a treatment for respiratory disorders by early settlers. Most of the medicinal effects of the Prairie Onion are similar to, but not as strong as its cousin, Wild Garlic.