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Scientific: Allium tuberosum
Common: garlic chives
Family: Liliaceae (onion family)
Origin: across Euroasia

Pronounciation: AL-lee-um to-ber-O-sum

Hardiness zones
Sunset
All
USDA 3-11

Landscape Use: Herb for edible gardens in lower desert regions.

Form & Character: Short, upright (in full sun), clumping, informal appearance, aromatic, herb.

Growth Habit: Evergreen to partially deciduous, herbaceous, perennial subshrub. Slowly clumps and spread. Height is generally under 18 inches.

Foliage/Texture: Narrow, flattened, dull green succulent leaves, aromatic; fine texture.

Flowers & Fruits: Tiny, star-shaped, white flowers with brown striped tepals appear in loose clusters (umbels to 2 inches wide) atop leafless 9 to 18 inch stems in late summer into fall.

Seasonal Color: White flowers in late summer into fall.

Temperature: Tolerant of summer heat in a mesic garden setting.

Light: Partial to full sun, no full shade locations as foliage will lay down rather than stand erect.

Soil: Does best in low salinity soils heavily amended with organic matter, ergo, garden soil conditions are best.

Watering: Regular irrigations in desert areas especially during the Phoenix (cough...cough) 'warm' season.

Pruning: Remove spent flower heads is all that's needed.

Propagation: Seed and division of clumping off sets. Dig and divide clumps during late winter and early spring to re-invigorate.

Disease and Pests: None

Additional comments: Garlic chives are perfect for use in uncooked dishes where raw regular garlic might be overwhelming or too spicy. Garlic chives do make a very small bulb that can be used like a small green onion. Harvest the small bulbs before the flower opens, while it is just a bud for culinary use.

Special note for avid desert gardeners: Beware!! Garlic chives WILL reseed and colonize your garden space.