By Maryann Readal
Garlic chives, Allium tuberosum, are one of the versatile herbs that belong in every garden. It is a tasty culinary plant with a light onion/garlic flavor. It is also a striking ornamental herb and an effective companion plant in the vegetable garden. There are many good reasons to include this herb in your flower and vegetable garden.
Fortunately for me, garlic chives are an evergreen perennial herb in my southern USDA Zone 9a garden. In colder zones, the foliage dies back in winter but returns in the spring. In those areas, it can be potted up and brought indoors or into a greenhouse for use as a culinary herb all winter long. Garlic chives are easy to grow; however, they do prefer to be in full sun. The leaves of the plant are flat as opposed to the leaves of regular chives, Allium schoenoprasum, which are round, hollow, and shorter. Another difference is that garlic chives bloom in umbels of white, star-like flowers. It can be a prolific seeder, so deadheading the flowers before the seeds form will help to control reseeding.
This herb is also called Chinese chives. It is native to eastern Asia and is a staple in Chinese cuisine, such as stir-fry dishes, omelets, pancakes, sauces, and in traditional Chinese dumplings, a popular dim sum dish. The unopened flower and stem have a crunchy texture and are often used in stir-fries. The leaves of the plant are sometimes covered with a clay pot, depriving the plant of light, so that the leaves turn yellow. These yellow Chinese chives are used in noodle and seafood dishes (Woks of Life, 2022). In Japan, the leaves are chopped and added to miso soup.
According to Chinese Medicinal Herbs written by Li Shih-chen in 1578, the Chinese ate the whole plant (Coonse, 1995). The flowers with their light garlic taste were especially favored. The plant was called feng pen, meaning “rich root,” and was used in ancestor worship and other rituals. To the Chinese, the herb was thought to purify the blood. It is still used in Traditional Chinese Medicine, TCM, to boost energy and to treat digestive, liver, and urinary tract problems (UIC Heritage Garden, ND).
In Western cuisines, garlic chives have their own niche culinary use. The chopped leaves are added to butters, sour cream, cottage cheese, scrambled eggs, baked potatoes, and vinegars, to name just a few of their possible uses. The herb is best used fresh as the leaves lose their flavor when dried. In addition to dressing up any dish and adding a soft onion and garlic flavor, garlic chives are also nutritious. They are high in vitamins A and C, fiber, carotene, riboflavin, thiamine, iron, calcium, and potassium.
Some claim that garlic chives in the vegetable garden adds more flavor to vegetables and promotes vegetable growth. They are also said to repel Japanese beetles, aphids, and cabbage worms (University of Illinois, Chicago, ND). Regular harvesting of garlic chives will ensure the robust growth of new leaves. It should be divided every 2-3 years and can also be grown from seed. The sweet scent of the flowers are attractive to bees, butterflies, and other pollinators (Mahr, ND).
Originating in China, this herb has its unique place in culinary and medicinal history. In 1887, Vincent van Gogh illustrated the commonness of the plant with his oil painting Flower Pot with Chives (Smith. ND).
For more information and recipes using garlic chives, please see The Herb Society of America’s Herb of the Month webpage.
Medicinal Disclaimer: It is the policy of The Herb Society of America, Inc. not to advise or recommend herbs for medicinal or health use. This information is intended for educational purposes only and should not be considered as a recommendation or an endorsement of any particular medical or health treatment. Please consult a health care provider before pursuing any herbal treatments.
Photo Credits:1) Chinese chives in the garden (Wikimedia Commons, Krzysztof Ziarnek); 2) Chopping Chinese chives (Maryann Readal); 3) van Gogh’s painting, “Flower Pot with Chives” (Wikimedia Commons, public domain).
References:
Bown, Deni. 2001. The Herb Society of America new encyclopedia of herbs and their uses. New York: DK Publishing, Inc.
Coonse, Marian. 1995. Onion, leeks, & garlic: A handbook for gardeners. College Station, TX.: Texas A&M University Press.
Mahr, Susan. ND. Garlic chives (Allium tuberosum). Accessed 5/19/25.
https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/garlic-chives-allium-tuberosum/
Smith, Barbara. ND. Herb of the week: garlic chives. Accessed 5/19/25. https://www.berkshirebotanical.org/herb-week-garlic-chives-allium-tuberosum
University of Illinois, Chicago. ND. Garlic chives (Allium tuberosum). Accessed 5/19/25.
https://heritagegarden.uic.edu/garlic-chives-allium-tuberosum
Woks of Life. 2022. How to grow Chinese garlic chives. Accessed 5/19/25. https://thewoksoflife.com/how-to-grow-chinese-garlic-chives/
Maryann is a member of The Herb Society of America’s Texas Thyme Unit in Huntsville,
TX. She is a Texas Master Gardener and a certified Native Landscape Specialist with
the Texas Native Plant Society and has received The Herb Society’s Nancy Putnam
Award for Excellence in Horticulture. She lectures and writes about herbs and plants
and does herb training for several Master Gardener programs. She gardens among the
pines in the Piney Woods of East Texas.