PlantFiles: Chives
Allium schoenoprasum

A tough plant that is tolerant of a variety of growing conditions, but prefers well-drained soil. They are relatively drought-tolerant once established.

Chives are a versatile herb that work well in a variety of styles of cooking, even those in which their use is not traditional (eg Chinese). They are excellent finely-chopped as a raw garnish. Cooked, they develop a distinctive sweet taste. They are generally mild, but they can become very pungent in hot summers, especially if their soil is a little on the dry side.

I buy my chives in the little 'windowsill' pots they sell in the produce section at the supermarket. They are usually between a half and a quarter of the price of the pots sold in garden centres for planting out, and I've had little trouble transferring them to the herb garden. I have found that it's beneficial to let the pots acclimatise on the patio for a few days before planting them. This advice also applies to all supermarket 'windowsill' herbs (commonly chives, basil, mint, coriander, curly parsley, and flat-leaf parsley; others (eg sage) are not unknown). Leave the garden center for less common herbs or unusual/decorative varieties.

This winter, I attempted to bring a pot of chives indoors to provide a winter crop. They became heavily infested with aphids. Since I have never seen chives affected by *any* pests before, I can only assume that I weakened them by mistreating them in some way (overwatered? Underwatered?). I placed the pot outside, where a frost killed the aphids. The pot remains outside, and it has now bounced back with a healthy crop. I may attempt to bring it indoors again next winter.

I have this planted in a self-watering tub on my deck. Hardy and, although it seeds profusely, it keeps fairly contained to the tub. Sprouts in very early spring...I was able to cut pieces for baked potato and sour cream while we were still getting snow showers.

Visually this plant adds its own touch between other flowers in the garden. I much prefer an ornamental anything to the next worst thing that decides to grow in any bare spot.

I love chives, so this is a must have plant. It will spread fast if not deadheaded! I just cut the whole plant back and it sends up new shoots.

I have read that it is hardy in zones 3-10. Darkness aids germination of seeds.

They are a great little filler for a perennial garden. They are useful in cooking and the blooms are pretty spiky looking purple flowers.

One of the easiest herbs to grow from seeds or transplants. Should be (& usually is) in every culinary herb garden. Grows well under various soil conditions, as well as in containers outdoors & in. Makes a lovely kitchen window addition for the winter.

I grew a long border of chives to edge an herb garden, as well as some roses, & when in bloom they were gorgeous. I didn't find them invasive at all, but I used the flowers liberally in salads & to make herb vinegars. The purple blooms turn white or white wine vinegar a lovely pink color & infuse it with a light onion flavor. Any flowers I didn't use in cooking, I consistently deadheaded before they threw seed.

I have been growing chives here in zone 5 for about 7 yrs and have not found them invasive at all. On Long Island they did spread a lot but not up here.

I was given a clump of of chives and planted them at the top of my hillside garden as one of the first plants I put in. It is true they are a little invasive, however, they can be controlled if you're willing to dig and pull out those clumps that spring up. What I've found is that they have become a good deer deterrent to the flowers around them and keep them out of that side of the garden. It's also nice to be able to go out and cut a few if I need them for cooking.

One of the easiest of plants to grow. This plant will seed around, but the seedlings are very easy to remove.

Every garden should have at least one chives plant.

My Mother had chives in her garden. They are pretty, but VERY invasive, and if you don't like chives, chives, chives, and even MORE chives, don't plant them.

Like the way these grow like weeds here, but they self seed everywhere. Very pretty. I do chopped chives for winter use.

This is one of the first plants I ever planted, and I remember it being in the yard as a child, always with the purple heads. Last year, for Thanksgiving, I cut what was left, diced it into small pieces, and mixed with cream cheese to put onto celery. It was a nice twist on an old standby. Currently they are growing great under the shade of a lot of potato plants, getting only 2 hours of sun in the afternoon.

Planted from division, in sunniest location available in condo patio, approx. 5 years ago, when also planting tomato plants and annuals. Later closed bed and filled with stone mulch, except for this Chive. Lives year-round on the immediate opposite side of a fence from an old Rhododendron and Dogwood. (Roots were a problem when initially creating the original planting bed.)
NO OTHER effort whatsoever. Never even water it!
Location is next to roof run-off, however. Occasionally (every other year) remove dead growth at end of winter, along with other leaf debris.
Always a pleasure to see, even if I forget to use when cooking!
Massachusetts, USA.

Chives are Deer Resistant!

Chives do well in our South-central Alaskan USDA zone 3 climate. The clumped bulblets can be divided periodically, and it will also self-seed around the plant. I've also started plants indoors in the spring from seeds I gathered the previous fall.

I grow chives among the flowers where it's lovely purple-lavender blooms add their own color and texture to the bed. Harvested chive foliage can be used fresh or dried and kept in an airtight dark container for winter culinary use.

A bulbous perennial widely grown across the Northern Hemisphere but are truely native to Northern Europe.

Has clumps of grass like, bright green, upright, cylindircal, hollow leaves which have the Allium marker of the distinctive onion smell. Bears tiny, purple or white, bell shaped flowers tightly packed into a rounded head which also carry the mild onion smell.

Flowers May-July

Likes a well drained, fertile soil in full sun. Will form a clump where happy and spreads by small rhizomes. May tolerate some shade and slightly moist soil too.

A must for any culinary herb garden, flower heads and leaves are edible and have a mild onion taste. The leaves are used in salads (flower heads can be used in salad too) mainly but impart a delicate flavour to sauces, soups, cheeses, herb butter, eggs and fish. To use Chives effectively in cookery the flower heads should be removed as they appear and the leaves cut as close to the ground as possible.

Chives are a good companion plant in the flower and vegetable garden too and will help to deter blackfly from roses and carrot fly from finding carrots. A Chive tea can also be made to spray on plant leaves prone to mildew.

Chives have been used as an aid to digestion and to treat anaemia.