Wild chives (Allium schoenoprasum)
Description
Chives, scientific name Allium schoenoprasum, are an edible species of the genus Allium. Their close relatives include the garlic, shallot, leek, scallion, and Chinese onion. A perennial plant, it is widespread in nature across much of Europe, Asia, and North America. A. schoenoprasum is the only species of Allium native to both the New and the Old Worlds. Chives are a commonly used herb and can be found in grocery stores or grown in home gardens. In culinary use, the scapes and the unopened, immature flower buds are diced and used as an ingredient for fish, potatoes, soups, and other dishes. The edible flowers can be used in salads. Chives have insect-repelling properties that can be used in gardens to control pests. The plant provides a great deal of nectar for pollinators. It was rated in the top 10 for most nectar production (nectar per unit cover per year) in a UK plants survey conducted by the AgriLand project which is supported by the UK Insect Pollinators Initiative.
Taxonomic tree
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Domain: Eukarya
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Kingdom: Plantae
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Phylum: Magnoliophyta
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Class: Liliopsida
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Order: Asparagales
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Family: Amaryllidaceae
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Genus: Allium
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