Chives Garlic

Description

Allium tuberosum – garlic chives

Botanical name: Allium tuberosum
Common names: Garlic chives, Chinese chives
Family: Amaryllidaceae
Plant type: Bulbous perennial herb
Habit: Clump-forming, grassy
Pot size: 9cm pot
Eventual size: Approx. 30–45cm tall × 30cm spread
Foliage: Slim, flat, grassy green leaves with a mild garlic scent
Flowers: Pretty, starry white flowerheads on slender stems in late summer (August–September)
Scent: Mild garlic scent to the foliage
Aspect / light: Full sun to partial shade
Soil: Moist, fertile, well-drained; any pH
Hardiness: RHS H6 (hardy, to about −20°C); USDA zones 4–9
Exposure: Sheltered or open; tolerant
Native range: Native to Asia
Toxicity / pet & child safety: Safe for people as a herb, but toxic to cats and dogs — like all onions and garlic, garlic chives can harm pets if eaten

Allium tuberosum, garlic chives, is an easy clump-forming herb with flat grassy leaves and pretty starry white flowerheads in late summer. Ornamental and much loved by bees, it is ideal for borders and pots.

GardenAdvice notes

A pretty and productive relative of ordinary chives, garlic chives have flat (rather than hollow) grassy leaves with a mild garlic scent, and are crowned in late summer with charming, starry white flowerheads that bees adore. Later-flowering than ordinary chives and just as easy, they are as ornamental in a border as they are useful in a herb garden — though they self-seed freely if the flowers are left.

Growing & planting

Plant in spring or autumn in moist, fertile, well-drained soil in full sun to partial shade. Keep the soil reasonably moist for lush growth. They are easy and adaptable, growing well in containers as well as borders. Space about 25–30cm apart.

Care & maintenance

Low-maintenance. Cut back through the season for fresh leaves, and remove the faded flowerheads before they set seed to prevent prolific self-seeding. Cut down old growth in autumn. Lift and divide congested clumps every few years in spring. Keep moist for the best foliage.

Propagation

• Division: Lift and divide clumps in spring or autumn.
• Seed: Sow seed in spring; it self-seeds very freely if flowers are left to ripen.

Pests & diseases

Generally trouble-free. Onion white rot and rust can occasionally affect them, and their main trait is prolific self-seeding. Otherwise easy and robust.

Uses in the garden

Charming in herb gardens, ornamental and cottage borders, as edging and in containers, where the flat grassy foliage and late, starry white flowers earn their place among other plants.

Wildlife value

The late-summer flowers are excellent for pollinators, providing valuable nectar for bees, hoverflies and butterflies when many other flowers are fading.

Toxicity & safety

Garlic chives are a safe, familiar herb for people, but note that — like all onions and garlic — they are toxic to cats and dogs if eaten, so site them away from pets inclined to chew plants.

GardenAdvice tip

Garlic chives earn their place as an ornamental as much as a herb — those starry white late-summer flowers are lovely and buzz with bees when much else is over. Do deadhead them before the seed ripens, though, as they self-sow with real enthusiasm. And, as an onion relative, remember they’re not safe for cats and dogs to eat.

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