Flower profile

Textile onion

Allium textile

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

Native in the lower 48

Textile onion is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 2 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in May–June.

14states where USDA records it

2Bloomipedia state lists include it

2,229U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: North Dakota, South Dakota

Quick look

Allium textile is a common species of wild onion found in the central part of North America.
From Wikipedia's article Allium textile, 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 14 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as native to South Dakota and North Dakota. ^NatureServe
USDA PLANTS lists its flower color as white. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS gives its bloom period as mid spring. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists a mature height of about 1 ft. ^{USDA PLANTS}
iNaturalist has 147 research-grade sightings of it in South Dakota, ranking #100 among the 126 flowers on our South Dakota list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 136 research-grade sightings of it in North Dakota, ranking #52 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”) (526 records)

Bloom time in the 2 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
South Dakota	Native	few records (41)	147
North Dakota	Native	few records (38)	136

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
South Dakota: No list South Dakota's endangered and threatened list (ARSD 41:10:02) covers animals only, so we show NatureServe's South Dakota ranks for plants. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in South Dakota.
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: KS (S2). (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 textile onion in 14 states.

AKMEVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILWIMINYRIMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTCAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wyoming.

South Dakota counties with USDA records: Aurora, Beadle, Brookings, Brown, Butte, Campbell, Charles Mix, Corson, Custer, Davison, Day, Deuel, Dewey, Douglas, Fall River, Hand, Harding, Hutchinson, Jackson, Jerauld, Lawrence, Marshall, McCook, Meade, Mellette, Minnehaha, Pennington, Spink, Todd, Walworth.

North Dakota counties with USDA records: Adams, Barnes, Benson, Billings, Bottineau, Bowman, Burke, Burleigh, Cass, Cavalier, Divide, Dunn, Emmons, Golden Valley, Grand Forks, Grant, Griggs, Logan, McHenry, McIntosh, McLean, Mercer, Morton, Mountrail, Oliver, Pembina, Pierce, Ramsey, Ransom, Renville, Richland, Sargent, Sheridan, Sioux, Slope, Stark, Steele, Stutsman, Ward, Wells, Williams.

Growing conditions

USDA PLANTS gives Textile onion a medium shade tolerance, high drought tolerance and medium moisture use. It is rated for soil pH 6.0 to 8.0 and winter lows down to -38 °F.

Shade tolerance: Medium
Drought tolerance: High
Moisture use: Medium
Soil textures it is adapted to: coarse, medium, fine
Soil pH range: 6.0 to 8.0
Minimum temperature tolerated: -38 °F
Frost-free days needed (minimum): 120
Annual precipitation range: 10 to 30 inches
Minimum root depth: 8 inches
Salinity tolerance: Low
Fertility requirement: Low
Growth rate: Rapid
Lifespan: Short
Active growth period: Spring
Fruit or seed: Brown · Spring to Summer
Can be propagated by: bulb, seed
Commercial availability: Contracting Only

From the USDA PLANTS characteristics data for ALTE. USDA ratings are general guidance for the species, not a guarantee for your garden.

Names, range and relatives

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

Other scientific names (synonyms in USDA PLANTS): Allium aridum, Allium reticulatum.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 234 counties across 13 states; the most are in Montana (41), North Dakota (41), Colorado (31).

Other Allium on Bloomipedia (6): Wild garlic, Wide leek, Nodding onion, Hooker's onion, Prairie 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 South Dakota flowers

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Common milkweed

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Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile ALTE.
iNaturalist, Allium textile: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Allium textile (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
South Dakota: South Dakota statewide noxious weeds (ARSD 12:62:03:01.06).
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 textile (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: ASPCA.
Photo: Brian Dickerson via iNaturalist · CC0 · resized.