About Persian Onion
Persian onions are an ornamental plant often found in rock gardens and other natural-looking garden areas. Their globe-shaped flower clusters, known as umbels, are made up of numerous star-shaped pink flowers and can grow one to two feet tall.
Flowers appear between May and June and are attractive to a variety of pollinators and songbirds. Though not a crop onion, Persian onion is technically edible, although all parts of it contain sulfides that can cause poisoning in certain individuals. We recommend growing these onions to appreciate their flower, not for consumption.
The Persian onion has also received the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.
Common Names:
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Persian Onion
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Star of Persia
- Ornamental Onion
Persian Onion at the Akron Zoo
Persian onions can be found growing in the Carousel Plaza and the Lehner Family Zoo Gardens. They are most visible when they bloom in May.