Trees That Please Nursery: 30 Days of Fall Foliage, Tuesday November 20th.

Garlic Chives

Garlic Chives (Allium tuberosum) are also known as Chinese Chives or Oriental Garlic. Garlic Chives grow in grass-like clumps that slowly expand each season. Strap-like leaves are long and slender. Break off a leaf or rub them and you will note a strong garlic scent. Flowers are found on slender stalks that stand much taller than the plant. Flowers form from late spring into summer. The star shaped flowers are white and quite showy and attract numerous bees and butterflies. Depending upon the winter cold Garlic Chives may be somewhat evergreen or die off late in the season but regrows in spring with warmer temperatures. Both leaves and flowers stalks are used in seasoning similar to chives.

In late fall with the cold temperatures flowers dry and turn white or crème colored.

At the base of the plant leaves may remain green well into late fall or early winter.

Flower heads dry, shrivel, and crack open to reveal black seeds.

Seeds can be collected for planting as they readily germinate in spring.

Garlic Chives are a nice ornamental plant for the garden to attract pollinating insects or in borders or near walk ways. Garlic Chives are hardy to USDA zone 3 and can be grown with low to regular water.

Contact Trees That Please Nursery for more information and pricing.

Photos & Narrative By:

Stephen Sain
Staff Plant Physiologist

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