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Allium schoenoprasum - L.

Chives

Author	L.	Botanical references	17, 200
Family	Alliaceae	Genus	Allium
Synonyms
Known Hazards	Although no individual reports regarding this species have been seen, there have been cases of poisoning caused by the consumption, in very large quantities and by some mammals, of certain members of this genus. Dogs seem to be particularly susceptible[76].
Range	Most of Europe, including Britain, east to the Himalayas and Japan.
Habitat	Rocky pastures and damp meadows, preferring calcareous soils[17, 90].
Edibility Rating	5 (1-5)	Medicinal Rating	2 (1-5)

Physical Characteristics

Bulb growing to 0.3m by 0.3m.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils, requires well-drained soil and can grow in heavy clay soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils and can grow in very alkaline soil. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires moist soil.

Habitats

Woodland Garden; Sunny Edge; Hedgerow; Cultivated Beds;

Cultivars: (as above except)
'Extra Fine Leaved' not Woodland Garden; not Sunny Edge; not Hedgerow;
'Fruhlau' not Woodland Garden; not Sunny Edge; not Hedgerow;
'White' not Woodland Garden; not Sunny Edge; not Hedgerow;

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Flowers; Leaves; Root.

Leaves - raw, cooked or dried for later use. The leaves have a mild onion flavour and are an excellent addition to mixed salads, they can also be used as a flavouring in soups etc[2, 4, 5, 9, 27, 33]. The leaves are often available from late winter and can continue to produce leaves until early the following winter, especially if they are in a warm, sheltered position[K]. A good source of sulphur and iron[201]. A nutritional analysis is available[218]. The bulbs are rather small, and rarely exceed 10mm in diameter[200]. They can be harvested with the leaves still attached and be used as spring onions[K]. They have a pleasant mild onion flavour. The flowers can be used as a garnish in salads etc[183]. The flowers of this species are rather dry and less desirable than the flowers of many other species[K].

Composition

Figures in grams (g) or miligrams (mg) per 100g of food.

Leaves (Dry weight)

• 330 Calories per 100g
• Water: 0%
• Protein: 27g; Fat: 5.5g; Carbohydrate: 60g; Fibre: 10.7g; Ash: 7g;
• Minerals - Calcium: 900mg; Phosphorus: 509mg; Iron: 15mg; Magnesium: 0mg; Sodium: 0mg; Potassium: 2874mg; Zinc: 0mg;
• Vitamins - A: 40000mg; Thiamine (B1): 1.1mg; Riboflavin (B2): 1.15mg; Niacin: 6mg; B6: 0mg; C: 522mg;
• Reference: [218]
• Notes: The figures given here are the median figures of a range that was quoted in the report.

Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.

Appetizer; Digestive; Hypotensive; Tonic.

The whole plant has a beneficial effect on the digestive system and the blood circulation. It improves the appetite, is digestive, hypotensive and tonic[201]. It has similar properties to garlic (A. sativum), but in a much milder form, and it is rarely used medicinally[238].

Other Uses

Fungicide; Repellent.

The juice of the plant is used as an insect repellent, it also has fungicidal properties and is effective against scab, mildew etc[14, 18, 20, 201]. The growing plant is said to repel insects and moles[14, 20, 200].

Cultivation details

An easily grown plant[203], it prefers a sunny position in a rich moist but well-drained soil[14, 37], though it succeeds in most soils[1, 37, 200] and also in light shade[203]. Grows well in heavy clay soils[203]. Tolerates a pH in the range 5.2 to 8.3. Chives are commonly cultivated in the garden for their edible leaves which are available from late winter to the beginning of the following winter[K]. The bulbs divide rapidly and large clumps are quickly formed. There are some named varieties[183, 200, 203]. Chives are very tolerant of heavy harvesting, regular cutting of the leaves ensures a continuous supply of young leaves and prevents the plants flowering[33]. Plants can be moved into a frame or other protected environment in the autumn and will then produce leaves throughout the winter[33]. Do not do this every year or it weakens the plants. The bulbs should be planted fairly deeply[1]. A good bee plant[24]. Grows well with most plants, especially roses, carrots, beet and chamomile, but it inhibits the growth of legumes[18, 20, 54]. Helps to reduce the incidence of scab when it is grown under apple trees[201]. This plant is a bad companion for alfalfa, each species negatively affecting the other[201]. Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer[233].

Propagation

Seed - sow spring in a cold frame. Germination is usually free and easy, pot up the seedlings as soon as they are large enough to handle easily and plant out in the following spring. Division can be carried out at almost any time of the year but is probably best done in spring. The clumps should be divided at least every 3 or 4 years in order to maintain vigour[200], the divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions.

Cultivars

'Extra Fine Leaved'

A special strain with a very fine leaf, it is much in demand for growing as a commercial crop[183].

'Forescate'

A very attractive form with clear bright rose-red flower heads. It has a good flavour for culinary use[183].

'Fruhlau'

An earlier and more productive clone, growing to about 22cm[183]. The plants can be cut more frequently than other forms[183].

'White'

A very ornamental form with white flowers[K]. The plant is very productive and the quality of the leaves is good[K].

Links

This plant is also mentioned in the following PFAF articles: Allium Species - the Perennial Onions, Alternative Edible Leaves, The Potted Garden, The Woodland Edge Garden.

References

[K] Ken Fern
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[2] Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972 ISBN 0-486-20459-6
Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references.

[4] Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9
Not so modern (1930's?) but lots of information, mainly temperate plants.

[5] Mabey. R. Food for Free. Collins 1974 ISBN 0-00-219060-5
Edible wild plants found in Britain. Fairly comprehensive, very few pictures and rather optimistic on the desirability of some of the plants.

[9] Launert. E. Edible and Medicinal Plants. Hamlyn 1981 ISBN 0-600-37216-2
Covers plants in Europe. a drawing of each plant, quite a bit of interesting information.

[14] Holtom. J. and Hylton. W. Complete Guide to Herbs. Rodale Press 1979 ISBN 0-87857-262-7
A good herbal.

[17] Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press 1962
A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures.

[18] Philbrick H. and Gregg R. B. Companion Plants. Watkins 1979
Details of beneficial and antagonistic relationships between neighbouring plants.

[20] Riotte. L. Companion Planting for Successful Gardening. Garden Way, Vermont, USA. 1978 ISBN 0-88266-064-0
Fairly good.

[24] Baines. C. Making a Wildlife Garden. 0
Fairly good with lots of ideas about creating wildlife areas in the garden.

[27] Vilmorin. A. The Vegetable Garden. Ten Speed Press 0 ISBN 0-89815-041-8
A reprint of a nineteenth century classic, giving details of vegetable varieties. Not really that informative though.

[33] Organ. J. Rare Vegetables for Garden and Table. Faber 1960
Unusual vegetables that can be grown outdoors in Britain. A good guide.

[37] Thompson. B. The Gardener's Assistant. Blackie and Son. 1878
Excellent general but extensive guide to gardening practices in the 19th century. A very good section on fruits and vegetables with many little known species.

[54] Hatfield. A. W. How to Enjoy your Weeds. Frederick Muller Ltd 1977 ISBN 0-584-10141-4
Interesting reading.

[76] Cooper. M. and Johnson. A. Poisonous Plants in Britain and their Effects on Animals and Man. HMSO 1984 ISBN 0112425291
Concentrates mainly on the effects of poisonous plants to livestock.

[90] Phillips. R. and Rix. M. Bulbs Pan Books 1989 ISBN 0-330-30253-1
Superbly illustrated, it gives brief details on cultivation and native habitat.

[183] Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[201] Allardice.P. A - Z of Companion Planting. Cassell Publishers Ltd. 1993 ISBN 0-304-34324-2
A well produced and very readable book.

[203] Davies. D. Alliums. The Ornamental Onions. Batsford 1992 ISBN 0-7134-7030-5
Covers about 200 species of Alliums. A very short section on their uses, good details of their cultivation needs.

[218] Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S. Medicinal Plants of China Reference Publications, Inc. 1985 ISBN 0-917256-20-4
Details of over 1,200 medicinal plants of China and brief details of their uses. Often includes an analysis, or at least a list of constituents. Heavy going if you are not into the subject.

[233] Thomas. G. S. Perennial Garden Plants J. M. Dent & Sons, London. 1990 ISBN 0 460 86048 8
A concise guide to a wide range of perennials. Lots of cultivation guides, very little on plant uses.

[238] Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995 ISBN 0-7513-020-31
A very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant.

Readers Comments

Plants for a Future does not verify the accuracy of reader comments, use at your own risk. In particular Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. You should always consult a professional before using plants medicinally.

Allium schoenoprasum

Wed Sep 6 2006

i'm very interested in chives,i am a grower in northwest mexico and exporting to the u.s. so any information is wellcome.thanks a lot. sergio r. batiz

Allium schoenoprasum

S SANKARAN Tue Mar 11 2008

I am interested to import 100kg seed. pl submit your quote.

Allium schoenoprasum

Marinella Zepigi Tue Jun 10 2008

Acta plantarum forum botanico Allium schoenoprasum L. - Description - Photos

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