Garlic chives are a bulbous perennial herb with characteristic onion or garlic odor from the amaryllis family (Amaryllidaceae). The bulb is native from Himalaya to China, the southwestern Shanxi region, and is very common in Asian cuisine. It is often grown in containers since it spreads readily by self seeding and underground tuberous rootstocks. The genus comes from the Latin name for garlic with the specific epithet meaning tuberous. Garlic chives are found in rich, moist forests and natural areas. They grow best in full sun and are adaptable to small spaces. Grown for both ornamental and culinary uses, garlic chives are a great addition to edible landscapes. Showy cream flowers appear above the clumps of strappy green leaves in the early summer. They are best grown in a pot to limit their spread or grown in a naturalized area. Deadhead to prevent unwanted self-seeding. This plant has an oniony smell when cut or crushed, but the scent of the flower is more violet-like. The garlic chive is a pollinator that is easily grown in diverse settings including natural landscapes, rock gardens, small spaces, and containers. In these settings, they can be grown for beauty or pollinator qualities or as part of an edible garden. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Garlic chives are resistant to deer, rabbits and many insects pests. They tolerate drought, and humidity. Bulb rot can occur in too wet soils. Bulb mites can occur. While the leaves, bulbs and flowers are edible, there is some toxicity noted with this plant. VIDEO Created by Elisabeth Meyer for "Edibles, Bulbs, and Houseplants," a plant identification course developed in partnership with Longwood Gardens. More information on Allium .
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil texture
High Organic Matter
Soil pH
Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
Available space
Less than 12 inches
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 0 ft. 6 in. - 0 ft. 4 in. | Width: 1 ft. 0 in. - 1 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
5 - Groundcover (<1 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Clumping; Erect; Spreading
Texture
Fine
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Rosulate
Leaf shape
Linear
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf value
Edible; Fragrant
Leaf size
> 6 inches long, < 1 inch wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Flat linear green leaves in a basal rosette up to 12 inches long. Galic taste and odor.
Flower color
Cream/Tan; Gold/Yellow
Flower value
Fragrant
Flower form
Umbel
Flower shape
Bell
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Umbel of 25 to 55 small, pale yellow to cream, bell-shaped flowers with 6 petals in a tight cluster on 6 to 15 in. naked stem. The flowers have cup-like petals and sepals.
Bloom time
Summer
Fruit type
Capsule
Stem color
Green
Stem detail
Round hollow green stems
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
Himalaya to China
Wildlife value
Flowers attract pollinators
Attracts
Pollinators
Food & Medicine
Edible parts
Leaves; Flowers
Fruit type
Capsule
Edibility
Leaves, bulbs and flowers are edible. However, the plant also has poisonous characteristics as noted in the "Poisonous to Humans" section of this record. Toxicity can depend on the age of the person or animal, the age of the plant, the part of the plant ingested, how much is ingested, whether the person or animal has sensitivities or allergies, whether it's eaten raw or cooked, and so forth. Consult with a medical professional for further details.