Meet the neighbours · vegetable
Winter Onion
Non-bulbing, hollow-leafed onions that are stronger than chives and among the first plants up each spring.
Winter onion is the hardy, long-lived neighbour that comes back bigger every year. Also known as Welsh or Japanese bunching onions, they originated in northern China or Siberia — not Wales. These are non-bulbing onions with hollow green leaves and a stronger taste than regular chives or garlic chives.
Extremely hardy and one of the first plants up each spring, it divides into clumps you can separate and replant to increase your stock for free.
How to grow it
- Full sun to part shade, well-drained soil, regular watering.
- Divides at the base into clumps — separate and replant to expand your patch.
- Cut off the white flower heads to encourage more leaf growth instead of seeding.
- Returns reliably each spring and grows bigger every year.
How to use & eat it
- Use as a stronger green-onion substitute.
- Snip fresh leaves into salads, eggs, and stir-fries.
- Trim flower heads to keep the plant producing leaves longer.
Makes friends with
Companion planting is just good neighbouring — these do better beside Winter Onion.
ChivesGarlic ChivesTatsoi
Other neighbours
- ChivesHardy, self-seeding, one of the first plants up in spring.
- GarlicPlant every fall for a mid-summer harvest — small bulbs, big flavour.
- Garlic ChivesFlat-leafed chives with a real garlic bite — a handy stand-in while the bulbs are still ripening.
- TatsoiA cold-hardy, fast-growing Asian green Cindy discovered almost by accident from a seed swap — now a permanent fixture in her garden.