Bulk Wild Chive Seeds, Allium Schoenoprasum AL401C

Wild Chives Seeds (Allium schoenoprasum)

Wild Chives are the original form of the familiar garden herb, a hardy native of cool meadows, streambanks and rocky shores across the northern parts of North America, Europe and Asia. They grow in neat, grassy clumps of slender, hollow leaves with a fresh, mild onion flavor, and they come back stronger every year with almost no care.

They are among the first herbs up in spring and one of the easiest to use. Snip the leaves over eggs, potatoes, soups, salads and soft cheeses, and add them at the end of cooking to keep their flavor bright. Cut what you need an inch or two above the soil and the clump quickly regrows, giving several harvests through the season.

In late spring each clump sends up round, lilac-pink flower heads that are as ornamental as any border perennial. Bees and butterflies love them, and the blossoms are edible too, with a light onion taste that is lovely scattered over a salad or steeped in vinegar. Deer and rabbits tend to leave the plants alone. Remove spent flowers if you do not want seedlings, as chives self-sow readily.

Chives are simple to grow from seed. Start indoors 6 to 8 weeks before your last frost, or sow directly outdoors in spring once the soil can be worked. Sow several seeds together to form a clump. Plants are slow in their first weeks and fill out through the summer, and established clumps can be divided every few years.

Quick facts

• Seed count: 100 seeds
• Non-GMO
• Type: perennial herb, hardy in zones 3 to 9
• Sun: full sun to part shade
• Soil: moist, well drained, moderately rich
• Sowing depth: 1/4 inch
• Germination: 10 to 21 days at 60 to 70°F
• Spacing: clumps 8 to 12 inches apart
• Height: 12 to 18 inches
• Harvest: light cutting from about 80 to 90 days after sowing
• Bloom: late spring to early summer
• Suitable for containers

We combine shipping on all seed orders, you pay one flat fee for as many seeds as you would like for no additional shipping. Orders over $35 for any combination of items ship for free to the US.

All of our seeds are tested and guaranteed. Never GMO.