ALLIUM schoenoprasum Chives ____________________________________ Type: Perennial Height: 6-12" (15-30cm) Flowering Time: Summer Flower Colour: Mauve, white ____________________________________ Botanical Classification: Class: Angiospermae (Angiosperms) Subclass: Monocotyledonae (Monocotyledons) Superorder: Liliidae (Lily Superorder) Order: Liliales (Lily Order) Family: Alliaceae (Onion Family) Genus: Allium (Onion) Species: schoenoprasum (like a bulrush) ____________________________________

Allium schoenoprasum is one of the most widely grown herbs, Chives, that make useful flowers for a border. It makes a neat clump of bright grassy leaves to about a foot high, with numerous rounded heads of mauve flowers in summer. There is also a white form, 'Wallington's White'.

The leaves are used mainly as garnish or chopped and used fresh, and have a mild onion flavour.

The plant is hardy, perennial, and self-seeds readily. Clumps can also be divided.

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Harvesting and Growing from Seed:

	Seed Pod Each small flower on the flower-head produces its own round, white, papery seedpod, making a chaffy, papery ball when the seeds are ripe.
	Seed The seeds are black, segment-shaped, and very light. There are six seeds in a pod.
	Seedling The seedling is a single, long, thin, grass-like leaf.
Seed sowing and Germination Autumn: Seeds sown outside in autumn germinated in 83 days. Winter:   Seeds sown outside in winter germinated in 12 days.