Health & Wellness
Nodding Onion © Luna Loiseau-Tremblay
N O R T H W E S T C O A S T N AT U R E Wild Alliums LU NA LOISEAU -T R EM B LAY AS THE SUMMER wears on, it becomes clear how
relation to our surrounding environment, it is the
fortunate we are on Vancouver Island that we have
genus in which some of the beautiful dry-bluff dwell-
experienced a wet spring and what has been a cooler,
ing pollinator plants fall into as well. In BC, we have
damp summer, at least in the first half. The surround-
six species of flowering onions that are native to the
ing environment is in stark contrast to last year's heat
province.
dome, resulting in the death of many intertidal species and singed, dried out native flora.
Hooker’s Onion, Allium acuminatum, is a beautiful species of wild onion with magenta coloured blooms,
One of the noticeable differences in species this sum-
flowering from May-July. The flowers are at the top of
mer, for me, has been Ocean Spray, Holodiscus discol-
a long stalk, with leaves having dried out by the time
or, a common understory shrub. Last year, the flowers
it is flowering. This species is a perennial bulb, and on
were a disconcerting, crispy brown, while this year we
eastern Vancouver Island it grows in dry rocky areas,
are back to fluffy, creamy white floral displays, attract-
open dry forests and mossy bluffs that dry up in the
ing a large variety of native bees and butterflies.
summer. This species is extremely drought tolerant, sometimes growing in very shallow soil or the top few
Among so many other species, this year has also been
inches of moss on a rocky ledge. Hooker’s Onion is a
particularly good for the native Allium species. While
slightly rare species, although it can be numerous in
Allium to many people is the genus which contains
the areas it occurs in. It is attractive to bees and other
onions, garlic, leeks, scallions, chives and shallots, in
insects, and can be easily grown in rock gardens and
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