Onion

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Allium paradoxum Credit: Tatyana Shulkina

Temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, ca. 700 species, with 310 in the FSU of which 140 are found in Central Asia, and 80 are endemic. Some species (A. cristophii Trautv. as "Star of Persia"; A. karataviense Regel and A. aflatunense B. Fedtsch.) are known as ornamentals; some are edible. Onion species can be grown for various purposes; many can be recommended as garden plants for the rock garden, natural parks and as cut flowers. Those containing saponins such as A. caspium (Pall.) Bieb. are poisonous.

[Alliaceae, formerly in Liliaceae]

Other ornamental species tested in St. Petersburg and good for zones 3, 4 include:

• A. altissimum Regel
• A. barszczewskii Lipsky
• A. caeruleum Pall.
• A. caesium Schrenk.
• A. giganteum Regel
• A. pskemense B. Fedtsh.
• A. ramosum L.
• A. senescens L.
• A. stipitatum Regel