Allium cepa proliferum
Tree Onion
a member of the Allium genus in the family Alliaceae.
Taxonomy and growth
Uses
Toxicity
Toxicity warning. The historical record reports a hazard for this plant. Do not use it to decide which parts are safe to eat or use medicinally.
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
There have been cases of poisoning caused by the consumption, in large quantities and by some mammals, of this plant. Dogs seem to be particularly susceptible[16].
Edible uses
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
The plant forms small bulbs at the top of the flowering stem, these can be eaten raw or cooked[3][12]. They have a strong onion flavour and are often used as pickled onions or added to salads[K]. As long as the bulbils are dried properly at harvest time, they store well[13]. Bulb - raw or cooked. The bulb can be up to 4cm in diameter and has a strong onion flavour[K]. Chopped into slices, it makes a good addition to salads and can also be used as a vegetable or as a flavouring in cooked foods[K]. Leaves - raw or cooked. A strong onion flavour, it makes a nice flavouring in salads though it should not be harvested in quantity because this would reduce the yield of bulbils[K]. The leaves are produced from late autumn, though we have found that harvesting them at this time will often encourage diseases such as mildew[K].
- Plant part
- Leaves
- Plant part
- Root
Medicinal uses
Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Although rarely used specifically as a medicinal herb, the onion has a wide range of beneficial actions on the body and when eaten (especially raw) on a regular basis will promote the general health of the body. The bulb is anthelmintic, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, antispasmodic, carminative, diuretic, expectorant, febrifuge, hypoglycaemic, hypotensive, lithontripic, stomachic and tonic[13][15][9]. When used regularly in the diet it offsets tendencies towards angina, arteriosclerosis and heart attack[11]. It is also useful in preventing oral infection and tooth decay[11]. Baked onions can be used as a poultice to remove pus from sores[11]. Fresh onion juice is a very useful first aid treatment for bee and wasp stings, bites, grazes or fungal skin complaints[15][8]. When warmed the juice can be dropped into the ear to treat earache[11]. It also aids the formation of scar tissue on wounds, thus speeding up the healing process, and has been used as a cosmetic to remove freckles[15].
- Product or use
- Anthelmintic
- Product or use
- Antiinflammatory
- Product or use
- Antiseptic
- Product or use
- Antispasmodic
- Product or use
- Carminative
- Product or use
- Diuretic
- Product or use
- Expectorant
- Product or use
- Febrifuge
- Product or use
- Hypoglycaemic
- Product or use
- Hypotensive
- Product or use
- Lithontripic
- Product or use
- Skin
- Product or use
- Stomachic
- Product or use
- Tonic
Material uses
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
The juice of the plant is used as a moth repellent and can also be rubbed onto the skin to repel insects[15]. The plant juice can be used as a rust preventative on metals and as a polish for copper and glass[15]. A yellow-brown dye is obtained from the skins of the bulbs[2][4]. Onion juice rubbed into the skin is said to promote the growth of hair and to be a remedy for baldness[15]. It is also used as a cosmetic to get rid of freckles[15]. The growing plant is said to repel insects and moles[8]. A spray made by pouring enough boiling water to cover 1kg of chopped unpeeled onions is said to increase the resistance of other plants to diseases and parasites[8].
- Product or use
- Cosmetic
- Product or use
- Dye
- Product or use
- Hair care
- Product or use
- Polish
- Product or use
- Repellent
- Product or use
- Rust treatments
Environment
- Range
- Original habitat is obscure.
- Habitat
- Not known in the wild.
- Light
- full sun
- Shade tolerance
- no shade
- Water
- moderate
- Hardiness
- Zone 5+
- Soil textures
- sandy, loamy
- Soil pH
- acid, neutral, alkaline
- Drainage
- well drained
- Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
- No
- Drought
- intolerant
Propagation
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Harvest bulbils in late summer and replant immediately or store them in a cool dry frost-free place and plant them out in late winter or early spring. Division of the bulbs after the leaves die down in late summer.
Cultivation
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Prefers a sunny position in a light well-drained soil[1] but succeeds in most soils that are in good condition[3]. Tolerates a pH in the range 4.5 to 8.3. The bulbs should be planted fairly deeply[1]. Some modern works have moved this plant from A. cepa, seeing it as being of hybrid origin with A. fistulosum and therefore renaming in A. x proliferum. The tree onion is a genuinely perennial form of A. cepa that is sometimes grown in the herb garden for its edible bulbils. Plants rarely if ever produce seed, instead the flowering head is comprised of a number of small onions or bulbils[3][12]. Plants are propagated by means of these bulbils or by dividing the main bulb that grows underground[K]. By no means a heavily productive plant, though the bulbils are very well flavoured and the plant is fairly easily grown[K]. Its main problem is that slugs seem to be attracted to it and can eat to death even well-established plants[K]. Grows well with most plants, especially roses, carrots, beet and chamomile, but it inhibits the growth of legumes[5][6][14]. This plant is a bad companion for alfalfa, each species negatively affecting the other[8]. Said to be immune to onion root fly[3]. Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer[10].
References
F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00
Carruthers. S. P. (Editor) Alternative Enterprises for Agriculture in the UK. Centre for Agricultural Strategy, Univ. of Reading 1986-00-00 ISBN 0704909820
Simons. New Vegetable Growers Handbook. Penguin 1977-00-00 ISBN 0-14-046-050-0
Grae. I. Nature's Colors - Dyes from Plants. MacMillan Publishing Co. New York. 1974-00-00 ISBN 0-02-544950-8
Philbrick H. and Gregg R. B. Companion Plants. Watkins 1979-00-00
Riotte. L. Companion Planting for Successful Gardening. Garden Way, Vermont, USA. 1978-00-00 ISBN 0-88266-064-0
Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Allardice.P. A - Z of Companion Planting. Cassell Publishers Ltd. 1993-00-00 ISBN 0-304-34324-2
Lust. J. The Herb Book. Bantam books 1983-00-00 ISBN 0-553-23827-2
Thomas. G. S. Perennial Garden Plants J. M. Dent & Sons, London. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0 460 86048 8
Chevallier. A. The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants Dorling Kindersley. London 1996-00-00 ISBN 9-780751-303148
Organ. J. Rare Vegetables for Garden and Table. Faber 1960-00-00
Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984-00-00 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9
Hatfield. A. W. How to Enjoy your Weeds. Frederick Muller Ltd 1977-00-00 ISBN 0-584-10141-4
Chiej. R. Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants. MacDonald 1984-00-00 ISBN 0-356-10541-5
Cooper. M. and Johnson. A. Poisonous Plants in Britain and their Effects on Animals and Man. HMSO 1984-00-00 ISBN 0112425291