Plant · P-180

Chives

Allium schoenoprasum

Chives form a low clump of hollow, grassy leaves that regrow fast enough to be cut over and over through the season for a mild onion flavor, while the bulbs themselves stay too small to bother digging - it's the leaves you're after, harvested like scallions. Left uncut, the purple flower heads draw pollinators, but cutting and flowering compete for the plant's energy, so many growers let some clumps bloom and cut the rest hard for the kitchen. Grown at the base of apple trees, chives are traditionally credited with cutting down on apple scab. It thrives in full sun but tolerates light shade, and sulks through the hottest part of summer.