Allium nutans aka Blue Chives

Allium nutans is a bulb-forming perennial in the amaryllis family. Common names include blue chives, steppes onion, and flat-stalked garlic. Its native range includes Russia and eastern Kazakhstan. It grows on stony slopes and in steppe meadows. Plants For A Future also records damp meadow sites in Tibet. This plant is not native to Britain or Ireland.

The plant grows upright and forms clumps of broad leaves. These grey-green leaves grow from the base and die back each year. Garden plants stand about 2 feet [0.6 metres] tall. Clumps often reach about 1 foot [0.3 metres] across. The RHS gives a wider height range of 1.6–3.3 feet [0.5–1 metre]. Its listed spread reaches 1.6 feet [0.5 metres]. Plants take two to five years to reach full size.

Small flowers gather in round clusters called umbels. Their colours range from rose pink to mauve-blue and white. The RHS places flowering in early or middle summer. Chicago Botanic Garden lists a broader season, from May through August. Its profile describes pink, rose, or mauve flower clusters. The garden also records visits from birds and butterflies. This gives the plant a place in wildlife beds.

Grow it in full sun with soil that drains well. The RHS recommends moist soil with a fair supply of nutrients. It accepts clay, loam, and sand across acid, neutral, and alkaline conditions. Chicago Botanic Garden lists moderate water needs. The RHS rates its cold hardiness as H6. Chicago lists USDA zones 3–10. Beds, borders, and containers suit this clump-forming plant. Gardeners can also use it as groundcover. Suggested settings include cottage, gravel, coastal, and courtyard gardens.

Routine pruning means removing spent flower stems and old leaves. Sow seed when ripe or during spring. Lift bulbs after flowering to detach offsets for new plants. Watch for allium leaf miner and onion fly. Onion white rot and onion downy mildew may also occur. The leaves are edible either fresh or cooked. Their mild taste resembles chives. Plants For A Future reports use of the juice against moths. It also records claims that the plant repels insects and moles. These reported uses do not establish how well it works. The supplied evidence gives no confirmed poisoning report for this species.