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Native Plant Society of Texas

Meadow Garlic

Allium canadense

Other common name(s):

Wild Garlic, Wild Onion

Family:

Amaryllidaceae (Daffodil Family)

Plant Ecoregion Distribution Map

This map uses data from the US EPA. EPA  servers have been offline frequently so maps may not display. We are working on a solution.

Central Great Plains, Cross Timbers, East Central Texas Plains, Edwards Plateau, Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes, Texas Blackland Prairies, Western Gulf Coastal Plain
Broken Red Plains, Limestone Plains, Red Prairie
Carbonate Cross Timbers, Eastern Cross Timbers, Grand Prairie, Limestone Cut Plain, Western Cross Timbers
Bastrop Lost Pines, Floodplains and Low Terraces2, Northern Post Oak Savanna, Northern Prairie Outliers, San Antonio Prairie, Southern Post Oak Savanna
Balcones Canyonlands, Edwards Plateau Woodland, Llano Uplift, Semiarid Edwards Plateau
Coastal Sand Plain, Floodplains and Low Terraces4, Laguna Madre Barrier Island and Coastal Marshes, Lower Rio Grande Alluvial Floodplain, Lower Rio Grande Valley, Mid-Coast Barrier Islands and Coastal Marshes, Northern Humid Gulf Coastal Prairies, Southern Subhumid Gulf Coastal Prairies, Texas-Louisiana Coastal Marshes
Floodplains and Low Terraces1, Northern Blackland Prairie, Southern Blackland Prairie
Flatwoods, Floodplains and Low Terraces3, Pleistocene Fluvial Terraces, Red River Bottomlands, Southern Tertiary Uplands, Tertiary Uplands

Plant Characteristics

Growth Form

Herbaceous

Height

.25
to
1
ft.

Spread

.25
to
1
ft.

Leaf Retention

Deciduous

Lifespan

Perennial

Habitat and Care Requirements

Soil Type(s)

Clay, Loam, Moist, Rich, Sand, Well Drained

Light Requirement

Sun, Part Shade

Water Requirement

Medium

Native Habitat

Disturbed Areas, Grassland, Woodland

Bloom and Attraction

Bloom Color

White

Bloom Season

Spring, Summer

Seasonal Interest

Forage, Nectar, Pollen, Seeds

Wildlife Benefit

Bees, Birds, Butterflies, Nectar Insects

Maintenance

This is a very versatile plant, able to adapt to all but very wet conditions. Make sure soil is well-drained, plants will rot in standing water. It does not flower in deep shade, but will still form aerial bulblets. Can spread profusely in warmer climates. Wild garlic makes a good woodland ground cover. Generally free of pests and disease, although there can be problems with slugs. Native habitat: open woods, prairies, disturbed areas.

Description

Blooms March-July. It has grass-like basal leaves and an 8-12 in. flowering stalk that grows from a bulb. Star-shaped flowers form a dome-like cluster. Native habitat is open woods and prairies. The fruit is a capsule. The plant has a strong, onion-like odor. Bulbs and leaves may be eaten by wild turkeys. Rabbits and deer tend to avoid eating any Allium species.

References

Learn about how to propagate Texas native plants.

Material Treatment Method Collection References
Clump Division If there are multiple plants growing, dig up the plant and gently tug the plants apart, being careful not to disturb too many of the roots. They may be connected by large root segments which you may need to break to free the plantlet. Pot up the new plant in well-draining soil. Repot the parent plant back into its original location. Some alliums (Allium roseum, A. sphaerocephalon and A. vineale) produce aerial bulbils (small young bulbs produced instead of flowers) in the flower head. These bulbils can be carefully removed and separated. The bulbils can be planted in moist free-draining Can refer to either home-made garden compost or seed/potting compost: • Garden compost is a soil improver made from decomposed plant waste, usually in a compost bin or heap. It is added to soil to improve its fertility, structure and water-holding capacity. Seed or potting composts are used for growing seedlings or plants in containers - a wide range of commercially produced peat-free composts are available, made from a mix of various ingredients, such as loam, composted bark, coir and sand, although you can mix your own. compost about 2.5cm (1in) apart and covered with 1cm (3/8in) layer of compost. It will take several years for them to reach flowering size. Check to see if there is more than one plant. In some cases they may still be beneath the soil surface. If you feel confident, you may remove the soil to check for baby plantlets below! 1) https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/allium/growing-guide
Seed No Treatment It is best to sow ripe ripe seeds as soon as possible. Sow into trays of gritty compost and and cover them with 5mm of grit. Place the containers outside in a shady spot. Alternatively store seeds in a fridge and sow in spring at about 13°C (55°F). Most should germinate within 12 weeks. It will take several years to reach the flowering size. Seeds are hard, usually yellow, brown or black, and contained in a seedpod that can be buff colored, white or brown and dry. Ripe seeds usually eject the seedpod easily and naturally. 1) https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/allium/growing-guide
Bulb Division Starting plants from bulblets is a convenient method of propagation. Larger bulblets germinate better than smaller ones and retain their viability longer (Krochmal, 1960). Bulblets held in cold storage at 40 degrees F broke dormancy while those stored at room temperature had lower germination percentages. Germination temperature was 69 degrees F. Bulblets held for 3 years at room temperature could not be germinated (Andersen 1968). Allium canadense is easily started from seed in the greenhouse during late winter or early spring. Bulbs can be divided in fall. 1) https://warcapps.usgs.gov/PlantID/Species/Details/2043#:~:text=Starting%20plants%20from%20bulblets%20is,can%20be%20divided%20in%20fall.

About the Region

2026 Fall Symposium Logo

This low-elevations region of Texas extends inland from the barrier islands, about 60 or so miles, and stretches from Brownsville to Louisiana. In total, it covers about 9.5 million acres, with a high point of 150 feet in elevation. More than 1000 species of plants can be found in this region. On the southern end, species more common in Mexico (such as Sabal mexicana) and Central America occur.

The barrier islands provide us with dune systems, and clay flats to the inland side, which have species found in these areas alone. Many plants here, such as Ipomoea pes-caprae (beach morning glory), can be found throughout tropical regions of the globe. I’ve encountered the same species on the beaches of Guam.

Once inland, vast marshes and wet prairies occur. Occasionally, oak (Quercus fusiformis) groves can be found. Common grasses include species of Bothriochloa, Paspalum, and Sporobolus; eastern gamagrass (Tripsacum dactyloides); and switchgrass (Panicum species). Many rivers and creeks cut through the Gulf Prairies, and along these riparian areas various species of trees, Sabal minor, and other plants adapted to clay soils can be found. Due to overgrazing, farming, and fire suppression, woody species such as mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa) and huisache (Acacia farnesiana), and invasive species such as chinaberry (Melia azedarach), Brazilian pepper (Schinus terebinthifolius), and Chinese tallow (Sapium sebiferum) have increased and displaced our native flora.

Source: Wildflowers of Texas by Michael Eason