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Chives

Allium schoenoprasum

A hardy, clumping perennial onion relative with hollow, grassy leaves and pretty purple flowers. It comes back for years with almost no care. Garlic chives, a different species with flat leaves, grow better in Florida's heat.

Growing facts

Scientific name
Allium schoenoprasum
Origin
Europe and Asia
Plant size
10–18 in grassy clumps
Growth rate
Medium
Sun
Full sun to part shade
Soil
Rich, moist, well-drained soil
Soil pH
6.0–7.0
Pollination
Not needed for leaves; bees love the flowers
Cold hardiness
Very cold-hardy; dies back in winter and regrows in spring
USDA zones
3–9 (garlic chives to 10–11)
Harvest
About 60 days from transplant; 80–90 from seed
When to plant (zones 9–11)
Oct–Mar
When to plant (zones 5–8)
Mar–May
Water
About every 3 days once established, without rain; more in heat, in pots and while young
Feeding
About every 30 days
Taste
Mild, fresh onion flavor; garlic chives taste mildly of garlic
Nutrition
Vitamins K and C, in the small amounts used as an herb

Is chives safe to eat? Edible and toxic parts

What you can eat

  • Leaves
  • Flowers, separated into florets

Toxic parts and cautions

  • Toxic: Toxic to dogs and cats. Onions, garlic, chives and leeks damage red blood cells and can cause anemia days after eating, raw, cooked or powdered. Cats and Japanese dog breeds are most sensitive. Call a vet if a pet eats a meaningful amount.

Pets: Toxic to dogs and cats, like onion and garlic. Plant clumps where pets can't chew them.

How to eat and enjoy chives

  • On baked potatoes and eggs
  • Mixed into cream cheese and dips
  • Chive blossoms in salads or vinegar
  • Garlic chives in dumplings and stir-fries

When it's ripe

Cut leaves near the base, a handful at a time, once clumps are 6 in tall. Cut flower stalks off after blooming, as they're tough.

Storing it

Wrap in a damp towel in the fridge for about a week. Freeze chopped chives; drying loses most flavor.

Chives varieties (4)

  • Forescate

    A chive with bright rose-pink flowers.

    Ornamental and edible.

  • Garlic chives · also Chinese chives, Gow choy, Nira

    Flat-leafed chives with white flowers and a mild garlic flavor.

    Origin: East Asia

    Allium tuberosum; handles Florida heat well. Self-seeds readily.

  • Purly

    An upright chive with thick, dark-green leaves that resist flopping.

    Productive.

  • Staro

    A thick-leafed chive bred for fast regrowth.

    Good for frequent cutting.

Pests and diseases to watch for

  • Scale insects

    Small bumps, waxy or shell-like, on stems and leaf veins; sticky honeydew and black sooty mold below.

    What to do: Scrub small colonies off with a soft brush.

  • Mealybugs

    White cottony clusters in leaf joints, under leaves and on fruit stems; honeydew and sooty mold.

    What to do: Blast off with a strong spray of water.

  • Aphids

    Clusters of tiny soft insects on new shoots; leaves curl and get sticky.

    What to do: Spray off with water.

  • Sooty mold

    Black, papery film on leaves and fruit that wipes off; it grows on honeydew.

    What to do: Control the insects making honeydew; the mold then weathers away.

  • Spider mites

    Fine pale speckling on leaves, dusty undersides and fine webbing; leaves bronze and drop.

    What to do: Hose the undersides of leaves.

Growing chiveses? Let Gardyn keep track.

Gardyn tells you when your chives needs water based on your local weather, reminds you to feed and prune in season, and keeps every harvest and photo.

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General guidance, not medical or veterinary advice. Poison Control (US): 1-800-222-1222. ASPCA Animal Poison Control: (888) 426-4435.