Plant profile
Chives
Allium schoenoprasum
Also known as Common chives, Onion chives.
Chives are clumping perennial herbs grown for mild onion-flavoured leaves and edible flowers. Established clumps can be divided every few years.
- Grows well in
- Tropical, Subtropical, Temperate, Cool / mountains, Arid / inland, Mediterranean
- Lifecycle
- Perennial clumping herb
- Light
- Full sun, Part shade
- Mature size
- Usually about 20–40 cm tall and 20–30 cm wide, gradually widening as the clump produces more bulbs.
- Spacing
- About 15–25 cm apart, depending on how quickly you want the clumps to fill together.
- Growth habit
- Compact clumping perennial made up of many small bulbs with fine, upright leaves.
- Native range
- Temperate Northern Hemisphere
- Natural habitat
- Cool temperate meadows, stream banks and damp open ground.
When to plant
Tropical
March–October
Subtropical
March–October
Temperate
August–April
Cool / mountain
September–March
Arid inland
March–October
Mediterranean
August–April
Planting
Plant seedlings or divided clumps into fertile, well-drained soil. Let new plants establish before harvesting heavily.
Position and light
Full sun to part shade.
Soil
Fertile, well-drained soil with organic matter. Chives also grow well in pots of ordinary potting mix, provided the container has good drainage and is not left to dry out completely for long periods.
Watering
Keep soil evenly moist during active growth. Reduce watering over winter when growth slows, and increase it again as new leaves emerge strongly in spring.
Feeding
Feed lightly during active growth if leaf production slows. A light application of liquid fertiliser after a heavy harvest helps clumps recover leaf growth quickly.
Pruning
Cut leaves close to the base when harvesting and remove dead foliage after seasonal dieback. Cutting the whole clump back hard once or twice a season encourages a flush of fresh, tender leaves rather than older, tougher growth.
Harvest
Harvest established clumps by cutting leaves as needed. Flowers are also edible. Regular cutting keeps leaves tender; letting a clump flower heavily before harvesting tends to toughen the remaining leaves.
Propagation
Grow from seed or divide established clumps every few years.
Common problems
Overcrowded clumps, sap-feeding onion thrips and soil that stays waterlogged can all slow growth. Divide old clumps when they become dense and check the leaves for pale streaking if growth looks tired.
Worth knowing
Chives are one of the few onion-family herbs that can be grown as a permanent perennial clump rather than replanted each season. The purple flower heads attract bees and other pollinators, making chives a useful companion planting near vegetables that need pollination. Garlic chives are a different species with flat leaves and a milder garlic flavour, and the two are sometimes confused when sold as seedlings.
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