Bloomipedia
Shortstyle onion (Allium brevistylum)
Photo: Daughter Dad via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

Shortstyle onion

Allium brevistylum

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

Native to Wyoming

Shortstyle onion is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. In Wyoming it's most often seen in bloom in June–July.

5states where USDA records it
426WY sightings*
746U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: Wyoming

Quick look

Allium brevistylum is a plant species native to the western United States. It grows in meadows and along stream banks high in the mountains of Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Montana and Idaho, at elevations of 2200–3400 m.

  • 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 5 states. USDA PLANTS
  • NatureServe lists it as native to Wyoming. NatureServe
  • In Wyoming, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in June–July. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 426 research-grade sightings of it in Wyoming, ranking #66 among the 113 flowers on our Wyoming list. iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

In Wyoming, most flowering sightings come in June–July.

Flowering records by month in Wyoming (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (102 records)

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA)
Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
NatureServe global
G4 Apparently secure worldwide. NatureServe
Wyoming
No list Wyoming has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Wyoming ranks instead. NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in Wyoming.
Rare elsewhere
No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.

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 shortstyle onion in 5 states.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Utah, Wyoming.

Wyoming counties with USDA records: Albany, Big Horn, Carbon, Converse, Fremont, Johnson, Natrona, Park, Sheridan, Sublette, Teton, Uinta, Washakie.

Names, range and relatives

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 38 counties across 5 states; the most are in Wyoming (13), Montana (8), Utah (8).

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

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Sources