Bloomipedia
Hooker's onion (Allium acuminatum)
Photo: Don Loarie via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

Hooker's onion

Allium acuminatum

Native in the lower 48

Hooker's 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–July.

11states
2of our state lists
4,379U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: Idaho, Utah

Quick look

Allium acuminatum, also known as the tapertip onion or Hooker's onion, is a species in the genus Allium native to North America.

  • 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 11 states. USDA PLANTS
  • NatureServe lists it as native to Utah and Idaho. NatureServe
  • In Utah, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in May–July. iNaturalist
  • In Idaho, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in May–July. iNaturalist
  • USDA PLANTS lists its flower color as purple. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS gives its bloom period as summer. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS lists a mature height of about 1 ft. USDA PLANTS
  • iNaturalist has 943 research-grade sightings of it in Utah, ranking #61 among the 109 flowers on our Utah list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 626 research-grade sightings of it in Idaho, ranking #45 among the 109 flowers on our Idaho list. iNaturalist

Hooker's onion gift ideas

Handmade hooker's onion gifts from independent makers.

🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.

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    Hooker's onion art print

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    Hooker's onion greeting card

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    Hooker's onion mug

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    Hooker's onion earrings

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    Hooker's onion embroidery pattern

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    Hooker's onion sticker

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When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (1,044 records)
Bloom time in each of our 2 states
StateTypePeak bloomSightings*
UtahNativeMay–July943
IdahoNativeMay–July626

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
Utah
No list Utah has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Utah ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Utah.
Idaho
No list Idaho has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Idaho ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Idaho.
Rare elsewhere
Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: MT (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 hooker's onion in 11 states.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming.

Utah counties with USDA records: Beaver, Box Elder, Cache, Daggett, Davis, Duchesne, Garfield, Grand, Iron, Juab, Millard, Morgan, Rich, Salt Lake, San Juan, Sanpete, Sevier, Summit, Tooele, Uintah, Utah, Wasatch, Washington, Weber.

Idaho counties with USDA records: Ada, Adams, Bannock, Bear Lake, Bingham, Blaine, Boise, Butte, Camas, Canyon, Cassia, Clark, Custer, Elmore, Franklin, Fremont, Gem, Gooding, Idaho, Kootenai, Latah, Lemhi, Lincoln, Nez Perce, Oneida, Owyhee, Payette, Power, Twin Falls, Valley, Washington.

More Utah flowers

Daffodil (Narcissus pseudonarcissus)

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🌷 Grown in Utah gardens
Plains pricklypear (Opuntia polyacantha)

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🌼 Blooms in UT: April–June
Showy milkweed (Asclepias speciosa)

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🌼 Blooms in UT: May–August

Sources