Allium dregeanum is the sole known species of Allium endemic to sub-Saharan Africa. It has also been described as the only Allium species endemic to the Southern Hemisphere, though some descriptions of the genus also include Allium juncifolium (Chile) and Allium sellovianum (Brazil), which are much less studied than Allium dregeanum. The distribution of Allium dregeanum extends from the summer-rainfall region, into the winter-rainfall zone of South Africa. Since Allium species are almost exclusively found in the Northern Hemisphere, with major centers of diversity in Central Asia and western North America, the biogeographical history of Allium dregeanum is of interest.