I planted a clump of garlic chives in my vegetable garden and within a couple of years had garlic chives growing all over my patio, 30 feet away. The garlic chives disappeared from the vegetable garden but remained in the patio in spite of my (weak) efforts to curb it. The flowers of the plants are very pretty and come in the heat of the summer when many other plants around the patio are looking beaten by the heat. Flowering stems can be picked and used to great effect in fresh arrangements or left to dry and used in dry arrangements. The leaves and flower stems have a mild garlic honey flavor and can be used in stir fry, soups, and egg dishes. The plants are tough and easy to grow in beds or containers.
Type: Perennial herb.
Bloom: Small white flowers are borne in clusters on long stems in late summer.
Foliage: Thin flat, grass like leaves.
Size: 12-18” H x 8-12” but clumps enlarge rapidly once established.
Light: Full sun.
Soil: Rich, moist, well drained.
Hardiness: Zones 3-9.
Care: Harvest lightly or not at all the first year to allow the plant to form a good sized clump; divide every few years as clumps decline.
Pests and Diseases: None of significance; deer, rabbit and other animals avoid the plant because of its garlicky flavor.
Propagation: Seed, division of clumps.
