Chives Herbaceous Perennial Flower, Herb, Vegetable (Cool Season) - Onion Family Allium schoenoprasum

Alliaceae Family

Great for dressing up potatoes and spicing up salads, this easy-to-grow Allium’s pinkish-lavender flowers make an attractive clump or edging in flower gardens. Site and Plant Characteristics Growing Information Varieties Site Characteristics Sunlight: full sun

part shade Soil conditions: tolerates acid soil

tolerates droughty soil

tolerates damp soil

tolerates low fertility While chives will tolerate a wide range of soil conditions, they prefer slightly acid soil (pH 6.2 to 6.8) with moderate fertility and high organic matter. While chives will tolerate a wide range of soil conditions, they prefer slightly acid soil (pH 6.2 to 6.8) with moderate fertility and high organic matter. Hardiness zones: 3 to 9 Chinese and garlic chives (Allium tuberosum) are slightly less hardy, only to Zone 4 without extra winter protection. Chinese and garlic chives () are slightly less hardy, only to Zone 4 without extra winter protection. Special locations: outdoor containers

rock gardens Plant Traits Lifecycle: perennial Ease-of-care: easy Height: 0.5 to 1 feet Chinese and garlic chives (Allium tuberosum) grow up to 2 feet tall. Bloom time: late spring

early summer

late summer

early fall Flower color: red

violet

white

pink The common garden chive has pinkish lavender flowers. The cultivar ‘Forescate’ has rose red flowers. 'Corsica" and 'albiflorum' have white flowers. Chinese and garlic chives (Allium tuberosum) have white flowers. Foliage color: medium green Foliage texture: fine Shape: cushion, mound or clump

upright

grass-like Spreading clump of upright, grass-like leaves. Special Considerations Special characteristics: deer resistant

not native to North America - Mediterranean origin

evergreen - In cold areas, dies back to the ground. Special uses: cut flowers

edible flowers

edible landscaping Growing Information How to plant: Propagate by seed, division or separation - Direct seed, divide or transplant in spring or fall. Germination temperature: 45 F to 95 F Days to emergence: 7 to 21 Seed can be saved 3 years. Maintenance and care: In spring or fall, direct seed onto well-prepared seedbed (covering very lightly), or transplant established plants. (If starting from seed, plants probably won’t be large enough to harvest for at least a year.) Regular cutting helps keep plants vigorous and healthy and encourages spreading. Keep flowers picked to discourage dormancy in warm weather. No fertilizer is needed if planted in reasonably fertile soil. Plants harvested frequently benefit from nitrogen top-dressing. Divide and replant clump in fresh soil every three to five years. More growing information: How to Grow Perennials Pests: Not usually harmed. Diseases: Not usually infected. Varieties Browse chive varieties at our Vegetable Varieties for Gardeners website.

The cultivar ‘Forescate’ has rose red flowers. 'Corsica' and 'albiflorum' have white flowers. Garlic chives and Chinese chives both have garlic flavor, and belong to a different species, Allium tuberosum. They grow taller (up to 2 feet) than common garden chives, and have white flowers.