Plant · P-178

Shallot

Allium cepa var. aggregatum

Shallots grow in clusters of small, mild-flavored bulbs instead of a single onion, multiplying underground so each planting leaves bulbs behind to replant the next year. The leaves are edible too, with a stronger onion bite, though most growers who plant shallots skip that second harvest. It needs full sun and a fertile, well-drained bed, and tolerates alkaline and even lime-heavy soil. In any quantity it is toxic to dogs, cats, and other livestock, so keep beds fenced off from animals.