Garlic chives
Allium tuberosum Rottler ex Spreng.
Garlic chives (Allium tuberosum) is an amaryllis-family herb with flat, long leaves and a mild garlic aroma; used in stir-fries, soups and chive cakes, and in traditional medicine as a warming tonic that aids digestion.
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Chinese chivesChinese chivesGarlic chivesOverview
Garlic chives is a perennial herb 25–50 cm tall; its small bulbs bear flat, narrow, long leaves in dense clumps, dark green with a mild garlic smell when cut. Small white flowers form umbels on tall stalks in autumn, followed by small capsules with black seeds.
Garlic chives originated in East Asia and has long been grown in China, Japan, Korea and Vietnam. The leaves are stir-fried with eggs, meat or seafood, added to soups, made into chive pancakes and eaten with noodles, or used as a raw herb. Traditional medicine regards it as pungent and warming, supporting digestion and vitality.
Life cycle
From seed to productDivision
Propagated by **division**: lift the clump and split it into pieces with 2–3 shoots, keeping the roots intact.
Establishment
Divided clumps recover, producing fine roots and new leaves within 1–2 weeks.
Growth & flowering
The plant blooms with **white umbel flowers, June–August**; pollination is by insects and wind.
Maturity & harvest
After each cut the plant regrows young leaves from stems and shoots; **leaves cut repeatedly year-round, strongest in autumn–spring**.
Distribution & origin
Share of recorded occurrences by region- China40%
- Japan & Korea20%
- Vietnam15%
- Others25%
Chemical composition
Relative content in agarwood resin- Sulfur compoundsMild garlic aroma40%
- Vitamins A, CMicronutrients30%
- Dietary fibreSupports digestion30%
Uses
- Stir-fried with eggs, meat, seafood; in soups
- Chive pancakes; eaten with noodles
- Traditional medicine: warming, energising
Properties
- Taste
- Mild garlic, slightly pungent
- Use
- Vegetable and warming tonic
Habitat & conservation
Cool to warm climate; friable, fertile soil; grown year-round.
Conservation
Widely cultivated in East Asia and beyond; not threatened.
References
- 1Kew Science – Plants of the World Online: Allium tuberosum — Kew (Plants of the World Online), 2026
- 2Wikipedia – Allium tuberosum — Wikipedia, 2026