# onions (*Allium*)

Onions are crunchy vegetables that grow underground. They have a strong smell and can make you cry when you cut them! Onions are used in many tasty dishes around the world.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** Urban areas, Gardens
- **Also known as:** Bulb Onion, Common Onion, Green Onion, Onion, Scallion, Spring Onion

![onions](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Illustration_Allium_ursinum1.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Public domain · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Illustration_Allium_ursinum1.jpg)

## Appearance

The onion has long, hollow, tube-like green leaves growing from a buried bulb. Its spherical white, yellow, or purple bulb has papery skin. When flowering, it produces a tall stalk topped with a globe of tiny white or pink blossoms.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Liliopsida
- **Order:** Asparagales
- **Family:** Amaryllidaceae
- **Genus:** Allium

## Interesting facts

- Ancient Egyptians worshipped onions, seeing their rings as eternal life!
- Onions were once used as a type of money in the Middle Ages!
- The amazing onion plant has been grown by humans for over 7,000 years!
- The world record for the heaviest onion ever grown is over 18 pounds!

## Special abilities

- **Tear-jerker Defense:** Onions release sulfur compounds when cut, irritating eyes to deter munching pests.
- **Underground Food Storage:** Its plump bulb stores food and water, allowing it to survive tough conditions.
- **Self-Protecting Wrapper:** Papery outer layers of the bulb protect the juicy inner layers from drying out.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 30-90 cm
- **Spread:** 10-20 cm
- **Flower Size:** 0.5-1 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Summer
- **Edible:** Yes
- **Toxicity:** Mild
- **Lifecycle:** Biennial
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** Honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — collects nectar from onion flowers
- **Eaten by:** Onion maggot (*Delia antiqua*) — larvae feed on onion bulbs
- **Eats:** [Human](https://www.snappit.app/explore/human) (*Homo sapiens*) — widely cultivated and consumed

## Traits

- [Biennial](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/biennial): Biennial plants complete their life cycle over two growing seasons, typically forming foliage in the first year and flowering/seeding in the second.
- [Fragrant Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fragrant-flower): Fragrant flowers emit a pleasant aroma, often to attract pollinators or for defense.
- [Medicinal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/medicinal): Medicinal plants possess chemical compounds that can be used for therapeutic purposes to treat illnesses or maintain health.
- [Agricultural](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/agricultural): This human use trait describes species cultivated or domesticated by humans for agricultural purposes, including crops and livestock.
- [Edible](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/edible): Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption.
- [Spice](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spice): This human use trait indicates species from which spices are derived, used for flavoring, preserving food, or as aromatic agents.
- [Urban Friendly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/urban-friendly): This habitat trait indicates species that can coexist with humans in urban and suburban environments, utilizing man-made structures and green spaces.

## Collections

- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Always wash your hands after handling onions, and ask an adult before cooking with them.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify onions?

Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is onions?

30-90 cm

### How wide does onions spread?

10-20 cm

### How big are the flowers on onions?

0.5-1 cm

### When does onions bloom?

Summer

### Is onions edible?

Yes

### Is onions toxic?

Mild

### What is onions's lifecycle?

Biennial

## Where to spot

- [Findlingspark Nochten (Boxberg/O.L., Ortsteil Nochten)](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/findlingspark-nochten-boxberg-o-l-ortsteil-nochten) — Sachsen, DE · Park

## More Plants

- [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*)
- [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*)
- [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*)
- [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*)

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Source: [Onions: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/onions)