Allium fistulosum
Welsh onion
Family AmaryllidaceaeAlso called bunching onion, Japanese bunching onion, long green onion, spring onion
About
Allium fistulosum, the Welsh or bunching onion, is a perennial onion grown for its hollow green leaves and stalks rather than a bulb, and is a key vegetable in East Asian cooking.
Care at a glance
- Pet safety
- Allium species are toxic to cats and dogs; eating large amounts can cause hemolytic anemia, and cats are most sensitive. General guidance for the genus
- People
- Not recorded.
- Light
- Full sun to light shade. General guidance for the genus
- Water
- Avoid overly damp ground; wet conditions invite rot and other fungal problems. General guidance for the genus
- Soil
- Fertile, loose, well-drained soil; sand or loam both suit. General guidance for the genus
- Propagation
- Forms clumps that can be divided.
“General guidance for the genus” marks advice sourced for the genus as a whole rather than this species.
Field notes
Morphology
Similar in taste and smell to the common onion but forms no true bulb; leaves and flower stalks are hollow. Large forms such as Japanese negi resemble leeks, small ones resemble chives. It can build up perennial evergreen clumps.
Cultivation notes
Widely used in East and South-East Asian cuisine, especially in China, Japan, Taiwan and Korea; in the West mostly used as a scallion or salad onion. Also grown in clumps as an ornamental. Crosses with the common onion give tree onions.
History & etymology
The epithet fistulosum means 'hollow'.
Habitat
- Altitude
- Not recorded
- Altitude class
- —
Cultivation
- Difficulty
- easy
Text adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
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