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We often choose plants for their attractive foliage or flowers, or because we like to cook with herbs, or because the plant is carefree, with one of these characteristics being our main goal. But some plants combine all these qualities nicely. One of these is Garlic Chives.
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 Usually sold as a culinary herb,
Years ago, I bought a small pot of garlic chives, (Allium tuberosum) at a local nursery in the herb section. The tag was encouraging; a hardiness listing of zones 3 through 9 meant they would be happy in my zone 7 garden. They like sun but aren't too picky about soil. I planted them in my herb bed, along with the more common round-leafed chives. That year, I helped myself to many trimmings of tender, flattened, oniony-garlicky tasting foliage. I used the snipped leaves anywhere I wanted a touch of onion taste and fresh green color, like in scrambled eggs or on baked potatoes. Later in summer, edible flower buds began to appear. I have seen chive flower buds sold in oriental produce displays. Indeed, "Chinese chives" is another name for this plant. Garlic Chives is also a dependable ornamental plant,  Actually, I find this Allium more vigorous than the traditional purple-flowered chives, Allium schoenoprasum. New leaves continue to grow through the summer, forming a pretty grass-like clump. This perennial herb expands slowly each year. After a few years, you may want to split your clump into several smaller ones. These robust plants will hardly notice. Just be prepared to use a sharp tool and a little muscle on the thickly matted roots. I use small clumps of Chinese chives as a garden border. 
Little did I know when I first bought them, garlic chives is a dependable flowering plant. In late summer, the clump will send up flower stalks. You'll see stiff, tubular flower stalks growing taller than the flat leaves. Then tiny white star shaped florets open to form a 3 inch hemisphere. These starry white clusters stand above the arching foliage on 18-inch stems. I love these flowers appearing faithfully for me in August, a time of the summer when little else can endure the heat, much less flower. Even severe drought won't stop the blooms, although it could cause some yellowed leaf tips. When the blooms have matured, faded and dried to a papery brown, they make a sturdy and striking dried flower. Leave them in the garden or cut them to put in a vase. and beneficial insects love them too.   While I like the flowers of garlic chives, they are absolute ambrosia to many pollen and nectar eating insects we actually want to attract to our gardens. Who doesn't enjoy the sight of a butterfly or skipper sipping nectar? Various wasps, flies, and beetles also visit flowers like those of Chinese chives. The adults of many of these "beneficial insects" feed on the pollen of small flowers. Then they produce larvae which prey upon our tiny garden enemies. And bees that dine on your garlic chives will also pause to pollinate your vegetables, helping guarantee a good crop. What about that "but?" But Allium tuberosum has one nasty habit. It self-sows, vigorously. Without some yearly maintenance, chives will sprout up all over your garden I learned the hard way when a grove of tiny garlic chive "saplings" greeted me one spring. Nobody wants more  weeding to do! How do I cope? As the flowers fade, I bunch the juicy stalks together and cut them off above the leaves. That green seed goes in the trash can. Left in place, the seedheads will become brown and papery, and split open to drop numerous black seeds. Of course, you can let those flowers mature. You'll get lots of seeds to share or plant elsewhere, and you can save the dried heads for winter interest in the garden or use in dried arrangements. Garlic chives, Chinese chives, Allium tuberosum- this plant of many names and many uses is a good one to include in most gardens. Try them! I expect you'll want others to experience its herb-foliage-flower-beneficial insect attractant qualities just as I do. Just be sure to tell them about that "but." Photo credits to Jill M. Nicolaus (critterologist) for the ready-to-use monarch photo, dried flower photo, and bees on flower photo. Jill also gave me the seeds and seed packet which I photographed. The other photos were taken by me in my garden. Sincere thanks to Jill also for her encouragement and help in getting me started, and finished, with my first article. Click here to read an article about some of the insects found on Garlic Chive flowers References Sombke, Laurence, Beautiful Easy Herbs. Rodale Books, Emmaus, 1997. Bradley, Fern Marshall and Barbara W. Ellis, editors. Rodale's All-New Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening. Rodale Press, Emmaus, 1997
 | I grew up playing in the Maryland woods, and would still do it often if life allowed! Being outside in a garden or natural area gives endless opportunity for learning and wonder. Naturally (pun intended,) my garden style leans towards the casual, with lots of perennials and bulbs, some native plants, and with small fruits and vegetables thrown in. I want to always see something new when I go in the yard, and always like to try new plants. I thank my parents for passing along their love of gardening and nature, and my husband and kids for allowing me to pursue and share my interests. |
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Subject: pretty flowers
Posted by littlemick (from Maryville, TN) on March 17, 2008 at 10:17 AM:Great article. I also love the flowers of garlic chives and have let them take over half of my herb garden. ... Posted by sallyg (from Millersville, MD) on March 17, 2008 at 10:47 AM: Thanks for reading! They literally have been the only thing in bloom at the time for me. But take over, they will! ... Posted by HaroldS (from Glendale, AZ) on March 17, 2008 at 1:52 PM: Oh yeah! Great long lasting blooms here in late summer when needed. Just love them. They take our torrid full sun too. Self seeding is easy to control. I recommend them to all. Definitely prefer them to the purple flowering ones that droop all over.
Thanks for the article. Harold
... Posted by sallyg (from Millersville, MD) on March 17, 2008 at 7:53 PM: Its my experience also, that the purple flowered ones droop, and just do not multiply for me at all. After years, I still only have a small small clump of them. ... Posted by Sharran (from Calvert City, KY) on March 20, 2008 at 8:12 PM: Hi again, Sally.
I knew I had read something that you had written recently, so I went back through Articles, and here it is.
Great article, by the way, and great flowering plant as well. Sorry I did not comment on the article earlier, I have been recouping from that severe flu thing and just now I am catching up.
I am looking forward to enjoying more of your articles!
Sharon ... Posted by sallyg (from Millersville, MD) on March 20, 2008 at 8:35 PM: Sharon, thank you for looking me up, and for your nice comments.
Oh the flu hit here several weeks ago, in our area. So many kids and teachers were out at our school that they closed for a day. Maybe Aunt Bett could have given you a remedy! BTW, If I hadn't given away a lot of spiderwort last spring, and more suffered from drought, I might try her recipe... Might!
I am 'working' on my third article, and my second will be up tomorrow the 21st. Not sure I can call it work, to read, write, and think about something plant related. ... Posted by mosbyone (from Fredericksburg, VA) on March 21, 2008 at 10:35 AM: Very nice Sally. Keep um coming ... Posted by sallyg (from Millersville, MD) on March 21, 2008 at 2:50 PM: Thank you, mosbyone~~~ have you checked today's articles : ^) ... Posted by birder17 (from Jackson, MO) on March 23, 2008 at 5:43 PM: I had garlic chives and it took me three years to get rid of them. It did draw beneficial insects but I could not keep up with the reseeding. They are pretty and prolific. ...
Subject: Nice Article
Posted by NatureWalker (from Binghamton, Twilight, NY) on March 14, 2008 at 3:52 AM:Hi there Sally,
I usually give the Allium tuberosum & Allium schoenoprasum some knee-high stockings for being so seedy on me. I buy 4 pairs for a dollar @ the dollar store. They look a little odd then; but then again they look a little scraggily towards the end of the season anyway. I packed some of them up & gave them away to some one else who wanted some. Then I also took some into the house for the winter; I keep them by a cold but sunny window. They were used by me & my son for onion dips & such. I should bring in a little more of them in for the next season. They've done quite well in their sunny corner of the window. My other son & daughter; too wanted some seeds for their friends so all that batch that I harvested in November 2007 is gone.
~* Robin ... Posted by gloria125 (from Greensboro, AL) on March 14, 2008 at 8:47 AM: Very nice presentation of one of my favorite plants. If this was your first article, Im looking forward to many many more.
Thanks, Sallyg. And Robin, I love the idea of socks for the garlic! ... Posted by DonShirer (from Westbrook, CT) on March 14, 2008 at 9:14 AM: I have had a pot of garlic chives as well as regular chives on a south windowsill for several years now. Maybe it's because they are clipped regularly, but they have never blossomed. I do add a few seeds every year but have never bothered to see if I am clipping old or new shoots. ... Posted by doccat5 (from Fredericksburg, VA) on March 14, 2008 at 9:36 AM: Thanks Sally, great article. :) ... Posted by sallyg (from Millersville, MD) on March 14, 2008 at 10:07 AM: Robin- thats a great idea!
Thanks for the comments guys- its pretty exciting! I really appreciate your reading my article !
KennedyH just happens to have one coming in two days about insects on his garlic chives : ^) ... Posted by Pamgarden (from Nellysford, VA) on March 14, 2008 at 10:17 AM: Sally, congratulations on your maiden article. I've planted garlic chives in zone 9, but they withered away on me. I'll try here, but keep it potted like a mint. ... Posted by Riverland (from Northeast, LA) on March 14, 2008 at 11:08 AM: Thanks for a wonderful article. I never realized how many people here at Daves would like the seeds till I offered some this year. So if you have plants try to catch the seed and pass it on to our many friends here at Daves. More and more of us are becoming aware of what will bring the butterflies and bees into our area. thanks Cindy ... Posted by Buttoneer (from Carlisle, PA) on March 14, 2008 at 12:30 PM: Good job, Sally. ... Posted by pajaritomt (from Los Alamos, NM) on March 14, 2008 at 12:36 PM: I have lots of garlic chives and hope I am never without them again. I sprinkle them on lots of things just like critterologist. Here is a quick and easy pasta recipe. Cook a package ( 1lb) of penne pasta until just done . While it is cooking, fill a small heavy sauce pan with a pint of heavy cream, and 8 ounces of gorgonzola crumbles. Stir sauce over low heat until cheese is melted. When the pasta is al dente, drain it and put it in a large bowl. Pour the gorgonzola sauce over it, then cut little pieces of garlic chive leaves all over the pasta -- to taste. My husband can't get enough of this dish. ... Posted by carrielamont (from Milton, MA) on March 14, 2008 at 12:37 PM: Hmm, now I want some too, and thank you for a lovely article! xx, Carrie ... Posted by Dea (from Frederick, MD) on March 14, 2008 at 5:03 PM: Both honeybees and wasps - good ones - just love our garlic chives. Thanks for a super article!
... Posted by gloria125 (from Greensboro, AL) on March 14, 2008 at 5:28 PM: Any sources for seeds? ... Posted by sallyg (from Millersville, MD) on March 14, 2008 at 6:26 PM: [HYPERLINK@davesgarden.com]
That should be the link to a page of commercial sources. I bet there are lots and lots available for trade or envelope if you just ask! ... Posted by gloria125 (from Greensboro, AL) on March 14, 2008 at 8:03 PM: thanks, sallyg ... Posted by darius (from Appalachian Mtns, VA) on March 14, 2008 at 8:20 PM: Well done, Sally!
I had garlic chives in my Asheville (Z7) garden but they didn't do much. The ones I planted here at my new place in Virginia (Z5b) took off like crazy. Unfortunately I chose a spot with little air movement and they got very moldy on the lower half. I moved them last fall and I'm now waiting to see if they come up this year. ... Posted by bbrookrd (from nantucket, MA) on March 14, 2008 at 10:37 PM: Sally, Nice article. However, I loved them too, and thought I could keep them in check. Since that first naive moment, I have spent years and years and years trying to get rid of them. I do love the flavor and the look, but one forgotten flower was all it took to spread them everywhere. They may have just adored my garden's soil and conditions. I do grow many other alliums, without fear of them becoming total invasive. Good luck to those who can tame this pretty, tasty, little thug. I will be happy to see it in your gardens, just not mine anymore. Patti ... Posted by sallyg (from Millersville, MD) on March 14, 2008 at 10:54 PM: I do appreciate all the nice comments- I tried hard : ^)
darius- I'd be happy to send you a bunch if yours need replacing!
Patti- certainly a word to the wise! Keeping the seeds under control is a very good idea. I have more patches of garlic chives than I really intended. Almost included a picture of my newest little thicket of seedlings but the picture just wasn't working out ... Posted by stellamarina (from Laie, HI) on March 16, 2008 at 2:56 AM: I am another person who loves this tough plant. I have it growing in an old wash tub so I have a good amount but it is kept in control. Unless I want the seeds, I will cut the flowers and put them in a vase. They keep well in water. If the chives seem to be just getting too long and wild I will give an occasional trim almost to the ground with scissors but in a weeks time there is plenty of leaf length again. Aloha ... Posted by sallyg (from Millersville, MD) on March 16, 2008 at 9:28 AM: Thnaks for reading and commenting
(I honeymooned in Hawaii-beautiful!)
By the way- today's Voracious Asassin article is about insects on garlic chive flowers
This message was edited Mar 16, 2008 9:32 AM ... Posted by NatureWalker (from Binghamton, Twilight, NY) on March 17, 2008 at 2:36 PM: Oh Sally,
I forgot to tell you that the flowers make for a beautiful 'edible garnish' in salads & on a plate for decoration on "summer salad & tuna" platters & such (my son the chef reminded me.)
He also says they're good to put into his home made vinegarettes; & that his customers look forwork to seeing them that way; so they know he's the chef of the day.
~* Robin ... Posted by sallyg (from Millersville, MD) on March 17, 2008 at 10:08 PM: Thanks for adding the suggestions for using the flowers. I'm not too much of a cook. I do make vinegarettes once in a while- sounds good.
. ... Posted by Fitsy (from Hayesville, NC) on March 18, 2008 at 7:30 PM: Thanks for introducing garlic chives to me! I'll be
getting some - carefully!
Fitsy ...
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