Canada onion

Appearance

''Allium canadense'' has an edible bulb covered with a dense skin of brown fibers and tastes like an onion. The plant also has strong, onion-like, odor. Crow garlic is similar, but it has a strong garlic taste.

The narrow, grass-like leaves originate near the base of the stem, which is topped by a dome-like cluster of star-shaped, pink or white flowers. These flowers may be partially or entirely replaced by bulblets. When present, the flowers are hermaphroditic and are pollinated by American bees and other insects. It typically flowers in the spring and early summer, from May to June.

Uses

The Canada onion is cultivated as a vegetable in home gardens in Cuba, scattered locally in the south to western parts of the island. It was formerly collected from the wild to be eaten by Native Americans and by European settlers. People in the Western Cherokee Nation continue the tradition of picking and cooking wild onions in early spring. Various Native American tribes also used the plant for other purposes: for example, rubbing the plant on the body for protection from insect, lizard, scorpion, and tarantula bites.

This plant can cause gastroenteritis in young children who ingest parts of this plant. Chronic ingestion of the bulbs reduces iodine uptake by the thyroid gland, which can lead to problems. No specific treatment is suggested other than to prevent dehydration . Livestock have also been poisoned by ingesting wild onions, and some have died . Horses have developed hemolytic anemia from ingesting wild onion leaves .