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BulbsHerbs - Culinary

Allium fistulosum
  • RHS Plants for pollinators

Welsh onion

An edible, bulbous perennial, remaining green virtually all year round and producing creamy-white flowers in mid-summer

Other common names
ciboul
Japanese bunching onion
see moreJapanese leek
onion-leek
stone leek
Welsh leek
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Size
Ultimate height
0.5–1 metres
Time to ultimate height
2–5 years
Ultimate spread
0.1–0.5 metres
Growing conditions
Chalk
Loam
Sand
Moisture
Moist but well–drained
pH
Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
Colour & scent
StemFlowerFoliageFruit
Spring Green
Summer Cream Green
Autumn Green
Winter Green
Position
  • Full sun
Aspect

South–facing or West–facing

Exposure
Sheltered
Hardiness
H3
Botanical details
Family
Amaryllidaceae
Native to GB / Ireland
No
Foliage
Deciduous or Semi evergreen
Habit
Clump forming
Genus

Allium are bulbous herbaceous perennials with a strong onion or garlic scent, linear, strap-shaped or cylindrical basal leaves and star-shaped or bell-shaped flowers in an umbel on a leafless stem

Name status

Correct

Plant range
China

How to grow

Cultivation

Easy to grow in fertile, well-drained soil. See the RHS A-Z guides to vegetable cultivation for further advice

Propagation

Propagate by seed. See sowing vegetable seeds

Suggested planting locations and garden types
  • Cottage and informal garden
  • Wildlife gardens
Pruning

Remove old flowered stems and foliage

Pests

May be susceptible to allium leaf miner and onion fly

Diseases

May be susceptible to onion white rot, and onion downy mildew

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