General Information
Chives grow in clusters, their blade-like leaves growing straight upward. The green leaves are hollow and come to a point. Chives can grow up to two feet tall in ideal conditions and can spread out up to 12 inches around. They have a mild onion flavor, that doesn’t tend to leave a long aftertaste. Chives sport globular spiky, pinkish-purple flowers in the early summer months, which are also edible and share the same mild onion taste. Some varieties of Chives have white and red flowers.
History
Chives are native to the Balkans, an area that includes modern-day Turkey, Greece, Bulgaria, and parts of southwestern Russia. Over the centuries, the herb has become naturalized throughout most of Europe and can be found as far north as Britain and as far east as Japan. The plants grow from bulbs, which were likely brought to the United States with colonists from Europe. Chives grow best in areas where it doesn’t get too hot and tend to prefer the cooler spring weather. There are several known varieties of Chives, two botanically identified varieties are A. schoenoprasum var. alpinum and A. schoenoprasum var. buhseanum. A few varieties have been trademarked by various seed companies, though most often the herbs are sold simply as ‘Chives’. Chives come in yellow varieties, and others vary in size from thin-leaved to gigantic.
