Is this wild onion or a poisonous lily?

Discussion in 'Plants: Identification' started by bigfoot, May 21, 2013.

  1. bigfoot

    bigfoot Active Member

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    Clarkston
    I have been waiting to find a wild onion/wild garlic this year, and so far in my life I haven't found one.

    Today in Michigan, I saw a grass like plant in my garden and had flowers of 6 white petals (like an onion would) and I immediately told my dad we might have a wild onion growing in our yard.


    Later on, me and my dad tasted the grass like part and we both said it didn't taste like an onion. It didn't taste bad and it wasn't bitter, it was plain. I still kept thinking it could of been a wild onion at that point, because it could have been just a mild onion with not much of a taste.

    I went to my backyard and dug the plant out, and I found bulbs. So it must be in the Lily family. The question is, whether it is a poisonous lily or an onion.

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/76284694@N02/8776085438/
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/76284694@N02/8776096414/
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/76284694@N02/8776113030/
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/76284694@N02/8776150748/
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/76284694@N02/8776161232/


    Here might be a distinguishing part of the plant - the backside of the flower :

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/76284694@N02/8776484986/
     
  2. hortiphoto

    hortiphoto Active Member 10 Years

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    Looks more like Ornithogalum than Allium.
     
  3. Ron B

    Ron B Paragon of Plants 10 Years

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    Ornithogalum umbellatum. Frequently asked about.
     

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