SimplePlant

Amaryllidaceae

Onion

Allium cepa L.

Family
Amaryllidaceae
Genus
Allium

Pets and kids

  • CatsToxic
  • DogsToxic
  • KidsSafe
Why

Cats: Toxic

Toxic to cats (severe). Toxic principle: N-propyl disulfide.

Signs: vomiting, hemolytic anemia, blood in urine, weakness, panting.

Dogs: Toxic

Toxic to dogs (severe). Toxic principle: N-propyl disulfide.

Signs: vomiting, hemolytic anemia, blood in urine, weakness, rapid heart rate.

Kids: Safe

Sources below say it is non-toxic to young children. Any plant can upset a stomach if a lot is eaten.

Ate some? Call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 (a fee may apply). For a child, call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 (US). If they are struggling to breathe or collapse, call 911. Don't give anything by mouth unless a vet or poison expert tells you to.

Onion (Allium cepa)
FlowerPhoto: Mirela, CC0, from iNaturalist

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Common names

By language (195)
aeb
Bcal, بصل
Afrikaans
Ui
Akan
Gyeene
Albanian
Qepa
Amharic
ሽንኩርት
ang
Cīpe
Arabic
بصل, البصل
Aragonese
Cebolla, Zebolla
Armenian
Գլուխ սոխ, Սոխ
arq
بصل, بصلة
arz
بصل
Assamese
পিয়াঁজ
Asturian
Cebolla
awa
पियाज
Aymara
Siwilla
azb
سوغان
Azerbaijani
Adi soğan
ba
Һуған
ban
Bawang bombai
Bangla
পিঁয়াজ, পেঁয়াজ
Basque
Tipula, Kipula
bdr
Bawang
Belarusian
Рэпчатая цыбуля, Цыбуля рэпчатая, Цыбуля-рэпка
Bhojpuri
पियाज, प्याज
bik
Sibulyas
bjn
Bawang Bombay
bo
ཙོང་རིལ།
Bosnian
Crveni luk
Breton
Ognon
Bulgarian
Кромид лук, Кромид, Червен лук
Burmese
ကြက်သွန်နီ
Cantonese
洋蔥
Catalan
Cebera
cdo
Iòng-chĕ̤ng
Central Kurdish
پیاز, كفته, پیواز
Chinese
洋葱, 洋蔥, 火葱, 分蘖洋葱, 楼子葱, 洋葱子, 红葱, 顶球洋葱
chy
Xaóenêhéstâhévo
Corsican
Cipolla
Croatian
Lȕk, Crveni luk
Czech
Cibule kuchyňská, Kuchyňská cibule, Česnek cibule
Danish
Løg, Kepaløg
Divehi
ފިޔާ
dsb
Wšedna cybula
Dutch
Ui, Ajuin, Juin, Plantui, Rode ui, Uien
eml
Sivóla
English
Onion, Garden onion, Onion plant
Esperanto
Cepo
Estonian
Harilik sibul, Sibulad, Söögisibul, Valge sibul
Filipino
Sibuyas, A. cepa, Bawang-pula, Lasuna
Finnish
Ruokasipuli, Kepasipuli, Sipuli
fmp
Aniosi
fon
Ayomà
French
Oignon, Ognon, Oignons
frr
Skalot
fur
Civole
Galician
Cebola, Allium
Georgian
Თალგამისებური ხახვი
German
Zwiebel, Etagenzwiebel, Gartenzwiebel, Gemeine Zwiebel, Hauszwiebel, Küchenzwiebel, Luftzwiebel, Sommerzwiebel
glk
پیاز
Greek
Κρεμμύδι, Άλλιον το κοινό, Κρόμμυον το κοινό
gsw
Zwiebel
Guarani
Sevói
Gujarati
ડુંગળી
gv
Unnish
Haitian Creole
Zonyon
hak
Thai-chhûng-thèu
Hausa
Albasa
Hebrew
בצל הגינה, בצל גינה, בצל ירוק, שום נבוב
Hindi
प्याज़
hsb
Cybličkowacy kobołk, Cybla, Zažna cybla
Hungarian
Vöröshagyma, Mózes pecsenye, Vereshagyma, Zsidó szalonna
hyw
Գլուխ Սոխ
Icelandic
Laukur, Laukduft, Matlaukur
Igbo
Yabasị osisi
Indonesian
Bawang bombai, Bawang bombay
inh
Хох
Interlingua
Cibolla
io
Onyono
Irish
Oinniún
Italian
Cipolla
Japanese
タマネギ, たまねぎ, 玉ねぎ, 玉ネギ, 玉葱
Javanese
Bawang bombay, Brambang timor
kaa
Piyaz
kab
Aflilu
Kannada
ಈರುಳ್ಳಿ, ಉಳ್ಳಿಗಡ್ಡೆ, ನೀರುಳ್ಳಿ
Kazakh
Пияз
kbp
Kaabʊ
kcg
A̱gurma
kge
Bawang Bombai
Kinyarwanda
Ubuntunguru
Korean
양파, 다마네기, 둥근파, 둥글파, 옥총, 옥파, 주먹파, 호총
ks
گَنڈٕ
ksh
Öllich, Look, Zwiebel
Kurdish
Pîvaz
kus
Gabʋ
Kyrgyz
Пияз
lad
Sevoya
lah
گنڈھا, پیاز
Latin
Caepa, Cepa
Latvian
Dārza sīpoli, Dārza sīpols, Sīpoli, Sīpols
li
Ooj
lij
Çiòula
Lingala
Litungúlu, Litungulu, Matungulu, Matungúlu
Lithuanian
Valgomasis svogūnas, Svogūnai, Svogūnas
lmo
Scigola, Scigula, Scigùla, Sigula, Sigóla, Sìgola
Luxembourgish
Ënn, Zwiwwel
Macedonian
Кромид
Maithili
पिआउज
Malagasy
Tongolo, Mangafaka, Tongolobe, Tongolombazaha, Tongolonakanga, Tongolovazaha, Zoainiao
Malay
Bawang, Pokok bawang, Bawang besar
Malayalam
ഉള്ളി
Maltese
Basal
Manipuri
ꯇꯤꯜꯍꯧ
Marathi
कांदा, ऍलियम सेपा
mcn
Témítà
min
Bawang bombai
Mongolian
Сонгино
mos
Gɛba
mrj
Охыра
mwl
Cebolla
myv
Чурька
mzn
الەزي
nah
Xōnacatl
nan
Chhang-thâu, Chhang-thaû
nds
Uui, Siepel
Nepali
प्याज
Norwegian Bokmål
Vanlig løk, Gul løk, Kepaløk, Matløk, Rødløk, Sølvløk, Vårløk
Norwegian Nynorsk
Lauk, Kepalauk, Løk, Vanleg lauk
Occitan
Ceba
Odia
ପିଆଜ
os
Бынджын хъæдындз
pam
Sibuyas
Pashto
پياز
pcd
Eugnon
pdc
Zwiwwel
Persian
پیاز, پیاز خوراکی
Polish
Cebula zwyczajna, Cebula jadalna, Czosnek cebula
Portuguese
Cebola, Cebolo
Punjabi
ਪਿਆਜ਼, ਗਠੇ, ਗੰਢਾ
Quechua
Siwilla, Cebolla, Hamam pulla, Sibulla, Siwulla, Siyuylla
rn
Ibitunguru
roa
Cepodde
Romanian
Ceapă
rsk
Цибуля
rup
Țeapâ
Russian
Репчатый лук, Лук обыкновенный
Samoan
Aniani, Agiagi
Sanskrit
पलाण्डुः
sat
ᱯᱮᱭᱟᱸᱡᱽ
sc
Chibudda
scn
Cipudda, Cipuddazza
sco
Ingan, Ingin
Scottish Gaelic
Uinnean, Siobaid
Serbian
Црни лук, Црвени лук
Serbian (Latin)
Luk
sgs
Cėbolė, Cėbolis, Cėbūlis
shi
Aẓalim
Sindhi
بصر
Sinhala
ලූනු
sje
Löhkka
Slovak
Cesnak cibuľový, Cibuľa kuchynská
Slovenian
Čebula, Luk*, Lük*
Somali
Basal
Spanish
Cebolla
Sundanese
Bawang bombay
Swahili
Kitunguu
Swedish
Lök, Gul lök, Gullök, Matlök, Potatislök, Röd lök, Rödlök, Silverlök
szl
Cwibla
Tajik
Пиёз
Tamil
வெங்காயம்
tcy
ನಿರೊಳ್ಳಿ
tdd
ᥞᥨᥝᥴ ᥚᥐᥴ ᥔᥨᥒᥴ
Telugu
ఉల్లిపాయ, ఆలియమ్ సీపా, ఉల్లి, ఉల్లికాడలు, ఉల్లిపాయలు, ఎర్రగడ్డ
Thai
หอมใหญ่, หอมหัวใหญ่, หอมแขก, หัวหอม, หัวหอมใหญ่
tok
Kili pi selo mute
Tongan
Onioni
tum
Hanyezi
Turkish
Soğan, Kuru soğan
Ukrainian
Цибуля ріпчаста, Ріпчаста цибуля, Цибуля городня
Urdu
پیاز, بصل
Uyghur
Piyaz, پىياز
Uzbek
Piyoz
vec
Zeóła, Seoła, Sieoła, Sioła, Siégoła, Séola, Séoła, Zeola
vep
Järgeline lauk
Vietnamese
Hành tây, Hẹ tây
vls
Andjoen, Ajuin, Ui
war
Sibuyas
Welsh
Nionyn
Wolof
Soble
wuu
洋葱
Xhosa
Itswele
Yiddish
ציבל, צוויבל, ציבעלע
Yoruba
Àlùbọ́sà
zea
Juun
Zulu
Uanyanisi

Synonyms

  • Allium angolense Baker
  • Allium aobanum Araki
  • Allium ascalonicum f. rotterianum Voss ex J.Becker
  • Allium ascalonicum var. condensum Millán
  • Allium ascalonicum var. fertile Millán
  • Allium ascalonicum var. sterile Millán
  • Allium cepa var. aggregatum G.Don
  • Allium cepa var. anglicum Alef.
  • Allium cepa var. argenteum Alef.
  • Allium cepa var. bifolium Alef.
  • Allium cepa var. cepa
  • Allium cepa var. crinides Alef.
  • Allium cepa var. flandricum Alef.
  • Allium cepa var. globosum Alef.
  • Allium cepa var. hispanicum Alef.
  • Allium cepa var. jamesii Alef.
  • Allium cepa var. lisboanum Alef.
  • Allium cepa var. luteum Alef.
  • Allium cepa var. multiplicans L.H.Bailey
  • Allium cepa var. portanum Alef.
  • Allium cepa var. praecox Alef.
  • Allium cepa var. rosum Alef.
  • Allium cepa var. sanguineum Alef.
  • Allium cepa var. solaninum Alef.
  • Allium cepa var. tripolitanum Alef.
  • Allium cepa var. viviparum (Metzg.) Alef.
  • Allium cepaeum St.-Lag.
  • Allium commune Noronha
  • Allium cumaria Buch.-Ham. ex Wall.
  • Allium esculentum Salisb.
  • Allium napus Pall. ex Kunth
  • Allium nigritanum A.Chev.
  • Allium pauciflorum Willd. ex Ledeb.
  • Allium salota Dostál
  • Ascalonicum sativum P.Renault
  • Cepa alba P.Renault
  • Cepa esculenta Gray
  • Cepa pallens P.Renault
  • Cepa rubra P.Renault
  • Cepa vulgaris Garsault

and 2 more.

Flowers

In flower
May to July (from 81 flowering iNaturalist observations worldwide)

Characteristics

Growth habit
Forb/herb
Lifespan
Perennial
In the US and Canada
Lower 48 states: introduced, Pacific Basin: introduced

Photos

More in Allium

Sources: classification, synonyms from World Flora Online Plant List (2026-06, CC0 1.0); common names, popularity from Wikidata (2026-10-26, CC0 1.0); common names, US characteristics from USDA PLANTS Database (2025-05-29, CC0 1.0). About our plant data.