Garlic Chives
Allium tuberosum
Also listed as Allium argyi, Allium clarkei
Also known as Chinese Chives, Chinese Leek, Oriental Garlic
Climate Match for your location
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Garlic chives are a perennial allium with thin, flat leaves and delicate white star-shaped flowers that bloom in late summer. Both the leaves and flowers are edible with a mild garlic-chive flavor, making them excellent for culinary use and as an ornamental edible.
Why grow it
Garlic chives offer a perennial alternative to annual garlic and common chives, with a longer harvest window and minimal maintenance once established. Unlike garlic, which requires vernalization and produces a single bulb per year, garlic chives regrow from the roots across multiple seasons and tolerate partial shade better than most alliums. The ornamental white flowers extend the plant's utility beyond the kitchen, making it suitable for edible landscaping alongside culinary production.
Watch out for
Garlic chives can self-seed prolifically in favorable conditions, so deadheading spent flowers before seed maturation helps prevent unwanted spread in mixed plantings. The plant performs best with consistent moisture during the growing season but can develop root rot in poorly drained soils, particularly during winter dormancy. In cooler climates, productivity typically declines after several years in the same location, suggesting periodic division or replanting improves vigor.
Overview
- Form
- Growth Rate
- Size
- Dormancy
- Family
- Amaryllidaceae
Native Range
East Asia
Seasonality
Bloom Season
Harvest Season
Edible Parts
Season of Interest
Herb
Soft non-woody plants of the field layer.
Tolerances & Soil
Establishment & Care
- Establishment
- Maintenance
- Years to Bearing
- Propagation
Garlic chives are a perennial allium with thin, flat leaves and delicate white star-shaped flowers that bloom in late summer. Both the leaves and flowers are edible with a mild garlic-chive flavor, making them excellent for culinary use and as an ornamental edible.
Climate Match for your location
See how well Garlic Chives grows in your area.
Enter your ZIP code and we'll show you how this plant fits your local climate.
Why grow it
Garlic chives offer a perennial alternative to annual garlic and common chives, with a longer harvest window and minimal maintenance once established. Unlike garlic, which requires vernalization and produces a single bulb per year, garlic chives regrow from the roots across multiple seasons and tolerate partial shade better than most alliums. The ornamental white flowers extend the plant's utility beyond the kitchen, making it suitable for edible landscaping alongside culinary production.
Watch out for
Garlic chives can self-seed prolifically in favorable conditions, so deadheading spent flowers before seed maturation helps prevent unwanted spread in mixed plantings. The plant performs best with consistent moisture during the growing season but can develop root rot in poorly drained soils, particularly during winter dormancy. In cooler climates, productivity typically declines after several years in the same location, suggesting periodic division or replanting improves vigor.
Overview
- Form
- Growth Rate
- Size
- Dormancy
- Family
- Amaryllidaceae
Native Range
East Asia
Seasonality
Bloom Season
Harvest Season
Edible Parts
Season of Interest
Herb
Soft non-woody plants of the field layer.
Tolerances & Soil
Establishment & Care
- Establishment
- Maintenance
- Years to Bearing
- Propagation
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