Common Chives (Allium schoenoprasum): Classic Herb for Flavor and Flowers

Chives: The Essential Onion-Flavored Herb

Common chives (Allium schoenoprasum) are a clump-forming perennial herb with hollow, tubular leaves and pretty pink-purple pom-pom flowers. They are the mildest of the culinary alliums, adding a delicate onion flavor to countless dishes. Both leaves and flowers are edible.

Botanical Profile

Native to Europe, Asia, and North America, chives grow 12–18 inches tall. They form dense clumps that expand slowly. The flowers appear in late spring to early summer and are beloved by bees. Cutting leaves encourages fresh growth.

Culinary and Garden Uses

• Fresh garnish: Snip over baked potatoes, eggs, soups, salads, cream cheese.
• Flowers: Separate florets for salads, vinegars, compound butters.
• Companion plant: Repels aphids, Japanese beetles; improves rose growth.
• Border edging: Neat clumps with attractive flowers.

Grow in full sun to part shade, rich, moist, well-drained soil. Divide clumps every 3–4 years. Deadhead to prevent self-seeding if unwanted. Hardy in USDA zones 3–9.