Blue Beech vs Nodding Onion - TreeTime.ca

Blue Beech vs Nodding Onion

Carpinus caroliniana

Allium cernuum

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

Blue Beech
Nodding Onion

Blue Beech is a beautiful, ornamental tree with enticing features. The foliage transforms throughout the season, offering a kaleidoscope of color. New leaves emerge reddish-purple, transforming to dark green, and then turn striking shades of yellow, orange, and red in fall. Once all the foliage has dropped, grooved, blue-grey bark becomes striking on a winter landscape.

Blue Beech has an attractive globular shape and has been successfully grown in both full shade and full sun locations. Make sure you provide ample moisture to ensure this tree thrives.

Nodding Onion is a native perennial wildflower known for its nodding clusters of flowers that range in color from white to pink to purple. The lightly scented blooms provide pollen and nectar for pollinators, especially bees, which can collect while hanging upside down, a capability most other insects lack.

The narrow, grass-like leaves of the Nodding Onion can be used as a seasoning in cooked dishes, though bulbs and raw leaves should not be eaten in large quantities. All parts of the plant have an onion-like aroma when bruised, which helps deter deer and rabbits. They can self-seed readily, so removing spent blooms helps manage their spread. Tolerant of a range of soils, including alkaline, it is well-suited for a variety of plantings, including pollinator gardens and naturalization projects.

Blue Beech Quick Facts

Nodding Onion Quick Facts

Zone: 3b
Zone: 3a
Height: 6 m (20 ft)
Height: 0.3 m (1.0 ft)
Spread: 6 m (20 ft)
Spread: 0.2 m (0.5 ft)
Light: any
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: normal, wet
Moisture: dry, normal
Growth rate: slow
Growth rate: fast
Life span: short
Life span: short
Growth form: upright to spreading, clump-forming
Spreading: seeds - high
Suckering: none
Maintenance: medium


Toxicity: raw leaves and bulbs can be midly toxic
Foliage: smells of onion when crushed, edible
Flowers: white, pink, or purple nodding clusters
Bloom time: late spring to summer
Nuts: Small nuts with earthy, sweet taste
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: yes
Catkins: no


Native to: ON, QC
Native to: AB, BC, SK, ON
Other Names: ladys leek, nodding wild onion