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Wild garlic's flower stalk holds a 1-2" wide inflorescence surrounded by 2-3 bracts; the bracts dry to a papery, off-white membrane tapering to a long point that contains flower buds on a pedicle, bulblets without pedicles, or both. When open, the flowers (~1/2" across) are each elevated on a 3/4" pedicle and exhibit six white, light pink or pink, sharply pointed tepals (= petals + sepals), six stamens, and a central light green ovary with a single style. Allium canadense is the most common Allium here; it can be distinguished from other native species by the presence of the aerial bulblets. The other common species in Jackson Park (nodding onion, Allium cernuum) is easily distinguished by the "nodding" of the entire inflorescence. (Neither of these is the "wild onion" Chicago is named for; that is Allium tricoccum.)

Allium

Allium canadense

wild garlic [Blooms: Jun-?]

Nodding onion's flower stalks are 12-18" tall, smooth, nearly vertical, and bend 180° at their tips (like a shepherd's crook); the ~2" wide flower cluster hangs below. Each of the 40-60 flowers hangs from a 1/2-1" hairless pedicel; each white, light pink, or light lavender flower has six tepals (three true petals and three similar-appearing sepals), six stamens (with yellow anthers) that extend well beyond the petals, and a single ovary with a style at least as long as the stamens. This is our only wild onion that "nods" so should be easy to identify. It's very popular with bees.

Allium

Allium cernuum

nodding onion [Blooms: Jul/Aug–?]