A little seed. A new beginning.
Seeds In A Cup®A LITTLE SEED. A NEW BEGINNING.

GROW SOMETHING WONDERFUL

Chives

Allium schoenoprasum

Your guide to planting, growing, and getting to know this plant.

THE PLANT NOTEBOOK

Chives care, from seed onward.

Botanical name
Allium schoenoprasum
Common names
Common Chives
Family
Amaryllidaceae
Genus
Allium
Species
A. schoenoprasum
01

Start growing

Very easy to grow. Clumps expand over time. Full sun to partial shade.

02

Growing with your kit

Watch the first tiny 'hooks' of chive seedlings emerge in your Seeds In A Cup® kit—a classic botanical stage.

03

Propagation

By seed or division of clumps.

04

Seasonal growth & harvest

Harvest leaves continuously from spring through fall.

05

Growing conditions

Sunny meadows, rocky slopes, and moist banks.

06

Weather & tolerances

Extremely frost hardy; survives sub-zero winters easily.

07

Pests & plant health

Onion thrips; generally very resistant to most pests.

08

Plant safety

Safe for humans; toxic to cats and dogs.

09

Botanical features

A perennial bulbous plant with hollow, grass-like leaves and purple pom-pom flowers.

10

Varieties

‘Staro’, ‘Forescate’.

11

Garden & everyday uses

Culinary garnishing with a mild onion flavor. Edible purple flowers

12

Native range & distribution

Native to temperate regions of Europe, Asia, and North America.

13

Conservation

Widespread and secure.

14

Name origins

Latin ‘cepa’ (onion), through Old French ‘cive’.

15

History

Grown in Chinese gardens for over 5,000 years; once hung in houses to ward off evil.

Grow chives in a cup.