Climbing Onion

Climbing Onion Care

Bowiea volubilis

What is the plant

A not edible onion that produces a cardiac poison is one of the features of a climbing onion. It has nothing to do with the onion you like to eat, but it can still become one of your favorite houseplants.

Climbing onion, also known as Bowiea sea onion, is a plant that may grow up to 8 inches (20 cm.) across in their native habitat and 4 inches (10 cm.) in captivity. It has pale green flowers, so it is not the best plant to get if you are looking for colorful blooming, but a great choice if you want something exotic.

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Humidity

Dry

Lighting

Full Sun

Temperature

18°C - 18°C

Hardiness zone

min 10a

Difficulty

Easy

Toxicity

Poisonous

How to Care for the Plant

Water
Too much moisture can cause the bulb to rot, so moderate but regular watering will be just enough. Water more in winter, but stop watering in late summer after the blooming.
Pruning
No special pruning is necessary; cut off the stems if they are brown.
Fertilizer
Climbing onion does not require any special fertilizing. It is enough to apply a compound fertilizer about once every two or three months to the soil, and it will be enough to keep it healthy.

Disease diagnosis

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Sunlight
It is a very sensitive plant, that’s why you should keep it out of direct sunlight. However, it can be moved outside in the full sheltered sun as long as it stays warm.
Soil
This plant needs a gritty, well-draining soil mixture.
Propagation
Climbing onion propagates in one way: it produces small bulbs, which you should carefully separate from the main bulb, and then put in the soil. You can store the unplanted bulbs for quite a long time, but only in a dark, cool and dry place.

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Temperature
The temperature is not that important as long as it stays above 50˚F (10˚C).
Container
The container should be just barely larger than the bulb itself because a climbing onion likes to be in a crowded pot. The main requirement for it is to have drainage holes to avoid rotting.
Fun fact
Only 10 percent of the bulb remains in the soil, which makes this plant look like an actual onion (not just in shape but in its semi-translucent concentric layers) dug in the ground.