Herb · Amaryllidaceae
Chives
Allium schoenoprasum
Give chives a sunny spot and a steady drink, and one little clump will feed your kitchen for years to come.
Full sun
Every 3–7 days
59–77°F · 15–25°C
80–90 days
Overview
Chives are the softest, friendliest member of the onion family, grown for their slim, hollow leaves and their gentle oniony taste. They settle into neat clumps of grass-like foliage that return faithfully every year, and come late spring they send up pink-purple pompom flowers that look just as charming in a border as they are handy in the kitchen. Both the leaves and the blooms are good to eat, which feels like a lovely bonus.
If you are nervous about keeping things alive, this is a plant that will build your confidence. It is a hardy perennial that asks very little of you, growing happily in a bed, along a path, or in a pot on a sunny windowsill, and it sails through cold winters all the way down to USDA zone 3. Snip whatever you need and the plant simply pushes out fresh growth in reply.
There is one thing to keep in mind, and it is about animals rather than any trouble for you. Chives sit in the genus Allium, right beside onion and garlic, and that makes the whole plant dangerous to cats, dogs, horses, and livestock, even though it stays perfectly safe for people to enjoy. A little care with where you keep it is all it takes.
Care
The short version: chives are wonderfully forgiving, so try not to worry. Set them in full sun, keep the soil moist and fertile, and start snipping once the clump reaches about 6 inches tall. Split it every few years and it will happily carry on almost forever.
Light
Chives are at their happiest in full sun, which keeps the leaves plump and the flavor lively. They will get by in partial shade too, so do not fret if your spot is not perfect, though plants given too little light tend to grow thin and stretch toward the brightness.
Water
Try to keep the soil evenly moist for the fullest crop of leaves, and this matters most while a young plant is still finding its feet. An older clump shrugs off the odd dry spell, so the occasional forgetful day is nothing to lose sleep over, but if it keeps drying out the flavor and the yield will both slip.
Soil
Give chives average, fertile, well-drained soil with a good helping of organic matter mixed in and they will reward you. A pH somewhere between 6.0 and 7.0 suits them nicely, and soil that drains freely gently protects the bulblets from rotting.
Temperature
Chives do their best growing in the cool of 59°F to 77°F (15°C to 25°C). They are tougher than they look and will overwinter outdoors in cold places, simply dying back for a rest and then returning on their own once the ground warms again in spring.
Humidity
You can relax about humidity entirely, because ordinary indoor levels of 40% to 60% are plenty and there is no number to chase. What helps far more is gentle airflow, since damp, crowded leaves can invite a little rust.
Feeding
A balanced fertilizer or a scoop of compost in spring is enough to carry chives through the whole season. A light hand is best here, because too much feed actually waters down the flavor instead of helping the plant along.
Pruning
Once the clump reaches about 6 inches (15 cm), you can start snipping leaves near the base, and now and then it helps to cut the whole thing right back to bring on fresh, tender growth. Taking off the faded flower heads stops the plant from seeding itself all around the bed, which keeps things tidy.
Repotting
Rather than needing repotting, chives simply like dividing every 2 to 3 years. When you notice the clump turning crowded, the leaves growing thin, or the middle starting to fade, that is your gentle cue to lift it and split it into fresh pieces.
Size & spacing
A grown clump reaches 8 to 16 inches (20 to 40 cm) tall and spreads to roughly 8 to 12 inches (20 to 30 cm) across. Give each one that bit of room so air can move freely around it and rust stays away, and your plants will thank you for the breathing space.
When to plant
Chives love the soft weather of spring and ask nothing fancy of you once they settle in. You can start seed indoors in late winter or simply pop divisions out after the last frost, then cut leaves all season long and look forward to the flowers in late spring.
Northern hemisphere
Southern hemisphere
Typical months for a temperate climate: start earlier in warm zones, later where spring frosts linger.
- Sow: 8-10 weeks before the last spring frost
- Plant: Spring, after the last frost
- Harvest: Snip leaves once plants are about 15 cm (6 in) tall and established; pink-purple pompom flowers appear late spring to early summer
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zones: 3–9
Temperature: down to -40°C
Troubleshooting
Chives are very kind to new growers and rarely cause real grief. What little does crop up usually shows on the leaves or comes from a clump that has grown too full. Look at what your plant is telling you, find it below, and make a small change early while the cure is still easy.
Orange spots on the foliage and browning tips
Raised orange-brown spots are rust, a fungus that moves in when a crowded clump traps damp air around the foliage. It looks worse than it is. Snip off the affected leaves, open the clump up by dividing it, and water at the base so the leaves can stay dry, and your chives will bounce back.
Fix:
- Cut back and remove affected foliage
- Improve spacing and air circulation by dividing crowded clumps
- Water at the base to keep leaves dry
A congested clump going bare and weak at its center
When a clump grows too full and the center starts to starve, it has simply outgrown its space as the bulblets compete for food and water. This is an easy one to put right. Lift it in spring or early fall, gently pull it apart, replant the healthy outer pieces in fresh, fertile soil, and give them a good soak to settle them back in.
Fix:
- Lift and divide the clump in spring or early fall
- Replant healthy divisions in refreshed, fertile soil
- Water in well after dividing
Pale, silvery flecks appearing across the leaves
If you spot a silvery sheen and pale stippling, the culprits are almost always thrips, tiny insects that scrape at the leaves and leave that telltale shimmer. Onion fly maggots or simple heat and drought stress can copy the same browning tips, so do not panic. A hard jet of water knocks the thrips off, trimming the worst leaves clears the damage, and keeping the soil evenly moist through hot spells helps the plant recover.
Fix:
- Rinse plants with a strong jet of water to dislodge thrips
- Remove and discard badly damaged leaves
- Maintain even soil moisture during hot weather
Toxicity
Here is the one place where the kitchen and the pet bowl truly go separate ways. Chives are a safe, everyday herb for people, yet because they belong to the Allium group they are toxic to cats, dogs, horses, and livestock, where the organosulfur compounds harm red blood cells and lead to hemolytic anemia. Cats feel it the worst, so keep the plant and its trimmings tucked safely out of their reach.
Toxic to
Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds
Safe for
People
Cats Severe
Cats take this plant the hardest, so watch them closely. The first signs are vomiting, weakness, and pale gums, followed by red or brown urine as their red blood cells break down. A racing heart and heavy panting point to the hemolytic anemia that makes even a small nibble genuinely dangerous.
Dogs Moderate
A dog that chews the leaves may be sick, grow listless and droopy, and show pale gums or bloody urine. The more it manages to eat, the greater the chance of full hemolytic anemia setting in.
Horses Severe
Horses are very vulnerable to Allium poisoning, so be especially watchful around them. Look for weakness, dullness, and pale membranes, along with dark or discolored urine as the same oxidative damage destroys their red blood cells.
Rabbits Toxic
Please never offer chives to a rabbit. The organosulfur compounds go after red blood cells just as they do in cats and dogs, and a rabbit's small body simply has too little margin to cope.
Livestock Toxic
Cattle, sheep, and goats that graze on chives risk the familiar Allium toxicosis, with weakness, anemia, and discolored urine. The harm can quietly build up over repeated meals, so it pays to keep them away.
Birds Toxic
Birds have no defense at all against these compounds, and even a scrap can damage their blood. Keep chives and kitchen trimmings well clear of pet birds and backyard flocks.
People Safe
Good news for the cook: chives are a kitchen herb, and the leaves and flowers are lovely to eat raw or cooked. The very same compounds that harm animals are no threat to people in normal amounts.
All parts are toxic to pets whether fresh, dried, or cooked; even small or cumulative amounts can be dangerous, particularly to cats. Wash hands after handling and keep trimmings and harvested leaves out of reach.
Helpline numbers
United States
ASPCA Animal Poison Control: (888) 426-4435 (fee applies)
United Kingdom
Animal PoisonLine: 01202 509000 (fee applies)
Australia
Animal Poisons Helpline: 1300 869 738
Varieties
Most chives you find for sale are just the plain species, and that is a fine place to begin. Still, a couple of named kinds are lovely to know about for their flowers and their easy habits.
'Forescate'
Forescate is a favorite for its bright rose-pink flowers paired with strong, vigorous foliage.
'Profusion'
Profusion is a sterile cultivar that blooms generously without setting seed, so you will never find it self-sowing around the garden.
Common chives (species)
Common chives are the everyday culinary form, with hollow, grass-like leaves, a mild onion flavor, and those familiar pink-purple pompom flowers.
Companions
The strong onion scent of chives can steer some pests away from neighbors like carrots, but the same plant chemistry sets back legumes, so keep it clear of beans and peas.
Plant near
Carrots: Strongly scented alliums like chives are reputed to help deter pests such as carrot fly, and onions/alliums are commonly paired with carrots in extension companion guidance.
Keep apart
Beans: Alliums (onion, garlic, chives) stunt the growth of beans and should not be interplanted with them.
Peas: Like beans, peas are legumes whose growth is inhibited by nearby alliums such as chives.
How to propagate
Making more chives is one of the most rewarding little jobs in the garden, and you really cannot go far wrong. Split a clump you already have for instant new plants, or raise a fresh batch from seed when you fancy the gentle wait.
DivisionEasy
Spring or early fall · A few weeks to reestablish; divisions are productive the same or following season
Splitting a clump is the quickest and most cheering way to make more chives. Every 2 to 3 years, lift an established plant, gently pull it into smaller bunches of bulblets, and replant them straight away. They settle back in within a few weeks and crop the same or the following season, so you see results fast.
SeedModerate
Start indoors 8-10 weeks before the last frost, or direct sow after the last frost · About 80-90 days to a usable harvest from seed
Growing from seed asks for a touch more patience, since it germinates and grows slowly at first, but it is well worth trying. Start it indoors 8 to 10 weeks before the last frost, or sow it straight into warm, moist soil afterward, and thin the seedlings gently as they fill out. Count on roughly 80 to 90 days before you have a clump worth cutting.
Myths
Because chives taste so gentle in the kitchen, they must be harmless to have around cats and dogs.
It is an easy thing to assume, but chives are an Allium, the very same family as onion and garlic, and the ASPCA lists them as toxic to cats and dogs. Even a mild-tasting herb can trigger Heinz-body hemolytic anemia in animals, so it is kindest to keep it well off the menu for your pets.
It is just the bulb underground that poses any danger to animals.
Sadly it is not just the bulb, because the toxic organosulfur compounds run all through the plant, including the hollow leaves and the pretty flowers. Every part can poison a pet, so treat the whole thing as off limits to them.