Flower profile

Prairie onion

Allium stellatum

Prairie onion (Allium stellatum) is a flowering plant in the Amaryllidaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly July–September across the U.S.

Native to North Dakota

Prairie onion is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states.

15states where USDA records it

101ND sightings*

1,993U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: North Dakota

Quick look

Allium stellatum, commonly known as the autumn onion, prairie onion, cliff onion, or glade onion, is a North American species of wild onion in the Amaryllidaceae family that is native to central Canada and the central United States.
From Wikipedia's article Allium stellatum, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Amaryllidaceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a perennial life cycle. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 15 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as native to North Dakota. ^NatureServe
iNaturalist has 101 research-grade sightings of it in North Dakota, ranking #68 among the 116 flowers on our North Dakota list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (458 records)

There are only a handful of North Dakota flowering records, so this chart uses records from across the U.S.

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA): Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}
NatureServe global: G5 Secure worldwide. ^NatureServe
North Dakota: No list North Dakota has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's North Dakota ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in North Dakota.
Rare elsewhere: Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: GA (S1), IL (S1), KY (S1). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list. For context only: ASPCA lists a related species, Allium ampeloprasum (“Leek”), as toxic to dogs and cats. That doesn't tell us about this species, so keep pets away to be safe. ^ASPCA

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records prairie onion in 15 states.

AKMEVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILWIMINYRIMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTCAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Wisconsin, Wyoming.

North Dakota counties with USDA records: Barnes, Benson, Bottineau, Burke, Burleigh, Cass, Cavalier, Dickey, Divide, Eddy, Emmons, Grand Forks, Griggs, Kidder, LaMoure, Logan, McIntosh, Mercer, Nelson, Pembina, Pierce, Ransom, Richland, Rolette, Sargent, Sheridan, Sioux, Steele, Stutsman, Walsh, Ward.

Names, range and relatives

Native status by region (USDA PLANTS): Canada: Native; Lower 48 states: Native.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 201 counties across 14 states; the most are in Minnesota (52), Missouri (38), North Dakota (31).

Other Allium on Bloomipedia (6): Wild garlic, Wide leek, Nodding onion, Hooker's onion, Textile onion, Shortstyle onion.

More from the Amaryllidaceae family (13 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Crowpoison, Drummond's rain lily, Brazos rain-lily, Red spider lily, Southern swamp crinum, Atamasco lily, Daffodil.

More North Dakota flowers

Textile onion

Allium textile

Native

🌼 Few flowering records in ND

Plains pricklypear

Opuntia polyacantha

Native

🌼 Blooms in ND: June–July

Upright prairie coneflower

Ratibida columnifera

Native

🌼 Blooms in ND: June–August

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile ALST.
iNaturalist, Allium stellatum: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Allium stellatum (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
North Dakota: North Dakota state noxious weeds (N.D. Admin. Code 7-06-01-02), as listed by the ND Department of Agriculture.
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Allium stellatum (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: ASPCA.
Photo: Bryce via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.