Garlic Chives – Allium tuberosum

Garlic chives are an underappreciated perennial onion/garlic relative that performs very well throughout the whole state of Florida.  They are also extremely cold tolerant, surviving far into the Northern US.  It is an important garden crop in China and has gained popularity in tropical places such as some parts of Haiti where other Alliums are challenging to grow.  The greens of garlic chives are used as a garnish or cooked into food to lend that Allium flavor that we all crave in food.  Admittedly, they aren’t as delicious as some top-tier forms of Alium but certainly get the job done in a pinch and can be quite good in food.  It is a rugged perennial that can actually survive for decades provided it isn’t shaded out or swallowed by weeds, which can happen quickly with it only being 12’ tall.  They perform very well at the perimeter of a vegetable garden or in containers where they can be regularly harvested and looked after.  Greens are available to harvest every day of the year in Florida, a unique trait.  The plants do not flower or produce seed for us and are propagated by dividing up the multi-stemmed clusters that the plants form.  A large amount of plants can be made by repeated division.  This is a great standby to have around that is totally bulletproof!