Allium fistulosum - Plant Finder - Missouri Botanical Garden

Allium fistulosum, commonly called spring onion, Welsh onion, or Japanese bunching onion, is a clumping, slowly-spreading, evergreen perennial onion that is ... 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NoteworthyCharacteristics Alliumfistulosum,commonlycalledspringonion,Welshonion,orJapanesebunchingonion,isaclumping,slowly-spreading,evergreenperennialonionthatisprimarilygrownasavegetableforharvestofitstastyonion-flavoredleaves.Elongatedundergroundbulbsarebarelythickerthantheplantstem(somecharacterizethisspeciesasbeing“bulbless”).Hollow,leafless,blue-greenfloweringstalksriseto24-36”tall,eachstalkbeingtoppedbyaglobularterminalumbel(to3”diameter)containingtiny,yellowish-white,6-tepaledflowers.Eachumbeltypicallysports50-100flowerswhichbloomfromlateMaytoAugust.Hollow,basalgreenleavesarelinearwithentiremargins,parallelvenationsandglabroussurfaces. ThisbunchingonionwasdevelopedinAsiafromawildrelativenativetoChina.ItwasbroughttoEuropeinthe17thcentury.TheoriginalChineseplantmaybeextinctinthewild.Thisonionhasbeenextensivelycultivatedsinceancienttimes.IthasescapedgardensandnaturalizedinAlaskaandinpartsofCanadaandthenorthernU.S.GenusnamecomesfromtheclassicalLatinnameforgarlic.SpecificepithetcomesfromtheLatinwordfistulosusmeaninghollowinreferencetothestemsandleaves.CommonnameofWelshoniondoesnotrefertothecountryofWales,butisderivedfromtheGermanwordwalschmeaningforeign. Problems Noseriousinsectordiseaseproblems.Bulbrotmayoccurinoverlymoistsoils.Slugsattackyoungplants.Mildew,rustandleafspotsmayappear.Watchforonionmaggotsandthrips. Uses Widelyusedasafoodadditiveinsalads,garnishes,soups,stews,stirfryandChinesecooking.Alsoservesasachive/leeksubstitute.Maybegrowninherbgardensandvegetablegardenswheretheyoungleavesandbulbilsmaybeharvestedforfood.Leavesaretastywhenyoung,butarenotornamentallyattractive.Floweringstalksareornamentallyattractivewhenflowersareinbloom. Back to Previous Page ThankYou! TheGardenwouldn'tbetheGardenwithoutourMembers,DonorsandVolunteers. 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