PlantFiles: Egyptian Tree Onion, Walking Onion, Topset Onion
Allium x proliferum

This is a great source of year-round green onions. They are still green even through the summer in dry Northern California. Multiplier onions, which are similar, seem to need to be cured as bulbs and replanted. I find the bulbs laborious to peel for such a small amount of onion, but the green onions are great. Much easier than remembering to put seeds or sets down for green onions every couple of weeks, and interesting looking!

found it initially growing in a windbreak near Recluse, WY; first time ever seen. now growing in Lewistown and Helena, MT; will plant this fall in Conrad, MT. extremely hardy to survive the site in Recluse.

I got my Egyptian Onion through Richter's as part of a catastrophically delayed order (not really Richter's fault and they were very nice about refunding the $$) and though it looked very very dead I planted it in my garden and forgot about it until this spring.

I'm put in mind of two things when I see this plant 1: the myth of Medusa and 2: those funky Escher drawings that have that fractal quiality of infinate mirror repetition (I think "Medusa Onion" is another quite fitting name)

It does not surprise me to see no negitive reviews as yet; it is truly an interesting plant. I love the way the typical onion stalks pop on thier ends to reveal the onions which in turn have thier own stalks that pop revieling progressively smaller "heads" of contorted growth. I have mine planted next to a Contorted Filbert (H.L.W.S.) and the effect of one twisting through the other is marvolous! I hope Dr. Suess had one in his garden~

We have had these onions for years. It is great to have onions from the garden before other onions are ready.

This dear plant makes me smile, just looking at it! It "walks" casually about its area of my garden, leaving next generation's starter wherever it strolls. Mine fits well in the mid-border of a flower bed. And if it gets too pushy, the shoots that are weeded out go in the cookpot!

It's an old plant -- samples grow in our County's heirloom garden, which dates to the 1850s. And it's a great conversation piece!

These are great! You can eat the stalks as chives, eat the small top sets or eat the bottom bulbs. They self sow enough to keep you in constant supply, but don't seem to be a pest so long as you harvest.

In my Chicago garden it seems almost impossible to kill this plant. It survives extreme winters and summers, flooding and drought. While not "invasive" it replants itself easily. In my garden near Dixon, IL, it thrives in near proximity to Black Walnut trees where many other plants have failed.

These survived winter in my zone 3 garden too.

I found three of these plants across the street from my house with tiny bulbs growing out of the top and small, underdeveloped-looking onions at the bottom. Being adventerous (if not somewhat stupid) I ate the "onions" - VERY hot, but excellent, and planted the bulbs. That was about 6 weeks ago, and I already have what appears to be green onion-type stalks above ground that range from 6-10".

So far, so good, except that I haven't the foggiest idea what to do next. All in all, though, they seem pretty hardy, and they taste great.

Never heard of this herb until I found one for sale at a perennial sale. Have planted it in the garden and there seems to be little bulblets coming out of the top. Love this herb and it is a true conversation piece in my garden. I live in Nova Scotia Canada and it is growing very well here.

I'm nuts about them; I grew them in Casper, Wyoming (U.S.), zone 4, 20 years ago. I found generous sources to start again in San Antonio, Texas (zone 8) around February 1. Easy to grow. I could be eating them but want to multiply my stash.

I don't remember how long it takes to mature but should be obvious when the bulblets appear - looks like it will be soon.

Possibly A. cepa viviparum.

Instead of blooms, these produce topsets. After harvesting the parent plant, break off the bulbils, separate and plant for next year's crop. That's just the neatest thing! I LOVE these onions! Definitely a conversation piece in the garden.

So far, so good. A few dozen plants are already filling in a 15 square-foot bed. Looking forward to onions this winter!