Herb · Amaryllidaceae
Garlic Chives
Allium tuberosum
Cut it again and again all season, and garlic chives keep coming back with flat, garlic-scented leaves.
Full sun
Every 5–10 days
80–90 days
USDA 4–9
Overview
Garlic chives are a tough, clumping perennial in the onion family, grown for flat leaves that taste of mild garlic rather than the oniony bite of common chives. The plant traces back to eastern Asia, where it has been a kitchen staple for centuries, and it turns up under names like Chinese chives, Chinese leek, and nira. Late summer brings white, star-shaped flowers that smell sweet and draw in pollinators.
This is one of the easiest herbs to keep. It shrugs off cold down to -22°F (-30°C), stands up to summer heat, and asks for little once the clump is established. You snip leaves as you need them, and the plant pushes out fresh growth to replace what you cut.
The one habit to watch is its eagerness to spread. Left to flower and set seed, garlic chives self-sow freely and can wander well past where you planted them. Cut the flower heads off before the seed ripens and the plant stays exactly where you want it.
Care
The short version: full sun and fertile, well-drained soil, kept evenly moist for the most tender leaves. Shear the clump for fresh regrowth, divide it every few years, and deadhead the flowers to keep it from seeding everywhere.
Light
Garlic chives do best in full sun, which keeps the leaves stocky and full of flavor. They'll take partial shade too, though the growth turns thinner and a touch softer there.
Water
Keep the soil evenly moist for the tenderest leaves, watering roughly every 5 to 10 days depending on weather and soil. An established clump can ride out a short dry spell, but drought dulls the flavor and coarsens the leaves.
Soil
Plant in fertile, well-drained loam with plenty of organic matter worked in. A pH between 6.0 and 7.0 suits them, landing right around neutral.
Temperature
Few herbs are this hardy. Garlic chives survive winter cold to -22°F (-30°C) and hold up in heat to about 95°F (35°C), which is why the clump comes back year after year.
Humidity
Ordinary air suits them, somewhere around 40% to 60%. There's no need to fuss over humidity outdoors, and good airflow does more to keep rust at bay than any moisture level.
Feeding
Feed through spring and summer with a balanced or nitrogen-leaning fertilizer to push leafy growth. A single seasonal feeding is usually plenty for a clump growing in decent ground.
Pruning
Snip leaves to about 2 to 3 cm above the crown whenever you need them, and a full shear of the clump brings on fresh, tender regrowth. Cut the spent flower heads off promptly, or the plant will seed itself across the bed.
Repotting
Garlic chives don't need repotting so much as dividing. Every 2 to 3 years, lift and split a congested clump once the center crowds, the leaves thin out, and production starts to slip.
Size & spacing
Each clump reaches 12 to 20 inches (30 to 50 cm) tall and spreads 8 to 12 inches (20 to 30 cm) wide. Give plants that much room so air moves freely and rust has a harder time taking hold.
When to plant
Garlic chives are forgiving about timing. Start seed indoors 6 to 8 weeks before your last frost, or sow it straight outside in spring, and set transplants out once hard frost has passed. Cut leaves through the whole growing season, and watch for white flowers in late summer that you'll want to remove before they seed.
Northern hemisphere
Southern hemisphere
Typical months for a temperate climate: start earlier in warm zones, later where spring frosts linger.
- Sow: 6-8 weeks before the last spring frost
- Plant: Spring, after danger of hard frost has passed
- Harvest: Snip leaves through the growing season; fragrant white star-shaped flowers appear in late summer (deadhead before seed set to prevent aggressive self-seeding)
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zones: 4–9
Temperature: down to -34°C
Troubleshooting
Garlic chives stay healthy most of the time, and the few problems that turn up are easy to read. Most show on the leaves or in an aging clump. Match what you see below and act before a small issue spreads.
Silvery streaks and pale speckling on the leaves
This is the work of onion thrips, tiny insects that rasp at the foliage and leave it stippled and twisted. They build up fast in hot, dry spells. Blast them off with a strong jet of water, treat the clump with insecticidal soap, and strip out any badly chewed leaves.
Fix:
- Spray foliage with a strong jet of water to dislodge thrips
- Apply insecticidal soap or horticultural oil to affected plants
- Remove heavily infested leaves
Rusty orange pustules dotting the leaves
This is allium rust, a fungus that flares up when clumps sit crowded and the leaves stay wet too long. The raised orange spots rub off on your fingers. Pull and destroy the marked leaves, thin or divide the clump to let air move through, and keep water off the foliage.
Fix:
- Remove and destroy infected leaves
- Improve air circulation by thinning and dividing clumps
- Avoid overhead watering
Grassy seedlings popping up all over the bed
Garlic chives self-sow with abandon once the flower heads ripen into seed. Leave them and you'll find new plants well beyond the parent clump. Hoe or pull the volunteers while they're young, and cut the flowers off before the seed matures and scatters.
Fix:
- Pull or hoe unwanted seedlings while young
- Remove flower heads before seed matures and disperses
An old clump going bare and woody in the middle
An overcrowded clump runs out of room and starts to die out from the center while the bulblets fight for water and food. Lift the whole thing in spring or early fall, split it apart, and replant the healthy outer divisions with space between them.
Fix:
- Lift and divide the clump in spring or early fall
- Replant healthy divisions with adequate spacing
Toxicity
This one cuts two ways. Garlic chives are a safe, tasty herb for people, but as an Allium they are toxic to cats, dogs, horses, and other animals. The organosulfur compounds in every part damage red blood cells and can cause hemolytic anemia, with cats the most sensitive of all. Keep plants, trimmings, and harvested leaves well out of reach of pets and livestock.
Toxic to
Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds
Safe for
People
Cats Severe
Cats are the most sensitive of all, and even a small nibble can do real harm. Watch for vomiting, weakness, and pale gums, then red or brown urine, fast breathing, and collapse as the red blood cells break down.
Dogs Moderate
A dog that chews the leaves tends to vomit and scour first. Over the next day or two the same blood damage shows up as lethargy, pale gums, and rusty-colored urine.
Horses Toxic
Horses are highly sensitive to alliums, and the same organosulfur compounds attack their red blood cells. Repeated grazing brings on weakness, a dull coat, dark urine, and the pale gums of anemia.
Rabbits Toxic
Keep this one off the menu entirely. The thiosulfates that damage other animals harm a rabbit's blood cells just the same, so it should never be offered as a green or a treat.
Livestock Toxic
Cattle, sheep, and goats can all be poisoned where alliums grow within reach. Steady grazing leads to anemia, weakness, reluctance to move, and discolored urine.
Birds Toxic
Birds are vulnerable to allium poisoning too, and their blood cells take the same oxidative hit. Weakness, breathing trouble, and a drop in appetite can follow even a modest amount, so keep clippings away from poultry and pet birds alike.
People Edible
Garlic chives are a kitchen staple, eaten raw or cooked with no trouble for healthy people. The flat leaves, buds, and flowers all go into stir-fries and dumplings.
Keep plants, trimmings, and harvested leaves out of reach of pets; do not feed any part to animals and dispose of clippings securely.
Helpline numbers
United States
ASPCA Animal Poison Control: (888) 426-4435 (fee applies)
United Kingdom
Animal PoisonLine: 01202 509000 (fee applies)
Australia
Animal Poisons Helpline: 1300 869 738
Varieties
Most garlic chives sold are the plain species, but a couple of selections are worth knowing if you grow them to cook with.
'Geisha'
A selection grown for broader, tender leaves and a fuller garlic flavor that suits the kitchen.
Broad-leaf types (mauershan / da ye)
These carry wider, flatter leaves prized in Asian cooking, especially for stir-fries.
Companions
Garlic chives sit awkwardly next to legumes, since alliums tend to hold back their growth.
Keep apart
Beans: Alliums can inhibit the growth of beans
Peas: Alliums can inhibit the growth of peas
How to propagate
There are two simple ways to get more garlic chives, and both are beginner-friendly. Division gives you a usable plant faster, while seed is cheap and easy if you don't mind the wait.
DivisionEasy
Spring or early fall · 4-6 weeks
Division is the quickest way to make more, and spring or early fall is the time to do it. Lift the clump, pull it apart into sections of several bulblets each, and replant them right away with room to spread. New divisions settle in within about 4 to 6 weeks.
SeedEasy
Start indoors 6-8 weeks before last frost or sow outdoors in spring · 2-3 weeks to germinate; one to two seasons to a harvestable clump
Seed is easy but slower. Start it indoors 6 to 8 weeks before the last frost, or sow straight into the spring garden, and look for sprouts in 2 to 3 weeks. A full, cutting-sized clump takes one to two seasons. The plant also self-sows freely, so deadhead the flowers if you'd rather it stayed put.
Myths
Garlic chives are safe for pets because they are a mild culinary herb.
Mild on your plate does not mean safe for animals. As an Allium, garlic chives are toxic to cats and dogs, and even small or repeated amounts damage red blood cells. The same herb that flavors your dinner can cause hemolytic anemia in a pet.
Garlic chives and common chives are the same plant.
They are two different species that only look alike. Garlic chives (Allium tuberosum) carry flat, garlic-flavored leaves and white flowers, while common chives (Allium schoenoprasum) have hollow, onion-flavored leaves and purple blooms.