Allium stipitatum, the Persian shallot, is a bulbous onion relative from central and southwestern Asia, grown for its tall drumstick-shaped lilac flower heads. It needs well-drained soil and full sun, and the bulbs can be eaten.
Family
Amaryllidaceae (Daffodil & onion family)
Grows as
Bulb
Light
Full sun
Water
Water during active growth in spring, then keep dry while the bulb rests in summer.
Soil
Free-draining, gritty or sandy soil.
Temperature
Hardy to around -15 °C; tolerates hot summers when dry.
How easy
Easy
Safety
Not known to be toxic
Edible
Yes, some parts
Native range
SE. Türkiye to C. Asia and Pakistan
Climate
temperate
About
Allium stipitatum, Persian shallot, is an Asian species of onion native to central and southwestern Asia.
Some sources regard Allium stipitatum and A. hirtifolium as the same species, while others treat A. stipitatum and A. hirtifolium as distinct. Allium stipitatum in the more inclusive sense occurs in Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan.
Uses
Bulbs of Allium stipitatum are eaten in Iran, where they are called موسیر (pronounced /muːˈsiːɾ/). They grow wild across the Zagros Mountains. Most of those eaten are harvested from the wild, sliced, dried, and sold at markets. Buyers will often soak the shallots for a number of days then boil them to obtain a milder flavour. They are often crushed and mixed with yogurt. Iranians enjoy yogurt in this way, especially in restaurants and kebab-saras where just kebabs are served.
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Allium stipitatum by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.