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Chives
Habit (mature) · Rosser1954 / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
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Chives
Allium schoenoprasum
A clumping perennial onion-relative forming dense grass-like tufts of hollow tubular leaves + globular lavender-pink flowerheads in late spring. Edible leaves + flowers; among the easiest perennial vegetables for beginners. Globular flowerheads are major early-season nectar sources for honey bees + native bees.
Review: Source-backed
Climate fit: moderate (65/100)
Edible
Pollinator
Border
Light
Full sun / Part sun
Water
Moderate water
Mature size
10-18" tall · 12" apart
Hardy in zones
3a-9b
brutally cold to frosty winters
Summer heat range
Cool-Hot
cool to hot summers Interim Plotwright tier until the plant AHS range is authored.
Native in Illinois
No
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Cold hardiness
Now
Zone 6b
USDA
Chicago, IL · 1991-2020 average annual coldest day
Source: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (1991-2020 climatology) via ArcGIS FeatureServer
Well-suited
2050
Zone 7b
Plotwright
Your zone + climate-model shift · SSP3-7.0 (regional rivalry)
Well-suited
In plain terms: cold winters — coldest nights typically around -3°F.
Well-suited today and still thriving in 2050.
Heat tolerance
Loading current AHS heat-zone and plant heat-fit data at your coordinates…
Appears in collections
+4
Collection · 8 plants
Food-forest layered edible
A vertically stacked edible polyculture: nut-bearing canopy, fruit-bearing understory, berry shrub layer, herbaceous + groundcover layers. Models a temperate-climate forest-garden palette for eastern North America.
Shagbark hickory
Pawpaw
Canadian serviceberry
Highbush blueberry
Allegheny blackberry
Chives
Parsley
Wild strawberry
Sources & citations
Cite this page
For lesson plans, articles, or research that uses this page. To cite a single upstream fact instead, use its specific source listed below.
Plotwright. (2026, May 17). Chives (Allium schoenoprasum). Retrieved 2026, June 5, from https://plotwright.garden/plants/chives
Sources for every fact
Every fact on this page traces to a source. 18 fields cited18 source-backed.
NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
University extension service
Backs 17 fields
Identity
Summary
Plant type
Light
Moisture
Hardiness
Heat zone
Size
Spacing
Habit
Design roles
Seasonal interest
Growth stages
Lifecycle
Regional guidance
Success tips
Designer notes
Wikimedia Commons
Photo · CC BY-SA 4.0
Backs 1 field
Image
Community photos
The photos above are our reviewed reference set, curated for accuracy.
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