Chives (Allium schoenoprasum), a member of the onion family and native to Asia and Europe, have been around over 5,000 years. Yet, they were not actively cultivated until the Middle Ages.
Its botanical name is derived from the Greek meaning reed-like leek. The English name chive comes from the Latin cape, meaning onion, which in turn became cave in French.
Prized for their flavor, this smallest member of the onion family has many wild cousins growing throughout the Northern hemisphere, including ramps and scallions.
Chives grow in clumps like grass, sending up graceful, hollow, thin leaves up to 12 inches. Unlike regular onions, no large bulb forms underground. Thus, it is the leaves that are the source of the onion flavor.
If you grow your own, you will be blessed in the spring and summer with lovely lavender flowers shaped like a delicate puffball. These flowers are also edible, and make a strikingly colorful garnish for any dish. However, be aware that the flavor of chives becomes more harsh after flowering. To avoid flowering, simply keep snipping the leaves back.

Chives (Allium schoenoprasum), a member of the onion family and native to Asia and Europe, have been around over 5,000 years. Yet, they were not actively cultivated until the Middle Ages.
Its botanical name is derived from the Greek meaning reed-like leek. The English name chive comes from the Latin cape, meaning onion, which in turn became cave in French.
Prized for their flavor, this smallest member of the onion family has many wild cousins growing throughout the Northern hemisphere, including ramps and scallions.
Chives grow in clumps like grass, sending up graceful, hollow, thin leaves up to 12 inches. Unlike regular onions, no large bulb forms underground. Thus, it is the leaves that are the source of the onion flavor.
If you grow your own, you will be blessed in the spring and summer with lovely lavender flowers shaped like a delicate puffball. These flowers are also edible, and make a strikingly colorful garnish for any dish. However, be aware that the flavor of chives becomes more harsh after flowering. To avoid flowering, simply keep snipping the leaves back.