If you’re on a quest to fill your kitchen garden and/or shrub layer with edible perennials and heirloom varieties, the tree onion (Egyptian walking onion) might be for you. Limited on space and growing in pots? You, too, might find a friend in this spicy, generous allium.
In a nutshell:
1) Ridiculously hardy (zones 3-10)
2) Tolerates poor soils.
3) One of the first and last edibles we harvest.
4) Grows itself and reproduces prolifically.
This unusual perennial onion is a cross between the cultivated onion and the Welsh onion. In full sun, they grow about 2 feet high and produce topsets that eventually flop over and “walk” about your garden.
In fall, when your onions have flopped, you can pop the bulbs off for strategic placement. They’ll overwinter in a paper bag, but why not plant them in fall for spring onions? Bury bulbs more than an inch deep and 4-5 inches apart. They also multiply at the base, so established clumps can be divided too. This is best done in spring. Note: Tree onions take a year of growth before they will form topsets, so be sure to plan and expect accordingly.
Tree onions thrive in confined spaces, making them ideal for balcony and patio gardens. Bonus: they can flourish both indoors and outdoors, as long as they have sun.
Use tree onions as you would any onion. To harvest, dig the clump, or the green leaves can be cut and used as scallions. The tiny top onions, if not planted, can be pickled and served as a gourmet treat.
Recipe: Pickled Walking Onions and The Walking Onion Gibson
Recipe: Onion Soup with Pickled Onions
To preserve for the coldest months, we dry some and freeze some for use in stir fry, soup, Mexican food, pizza, bread, roasts, potatoes, etc… You can also cure them for storage. Instructions for that process can be found here.
While they’re growing, tree onion can repel insects and moles, making it a great choice for a border plant. You can even make a natural insecticide from them. Just chop the unpeeled onions and cover them in boiling water, steep overnight like tea, strain and spraying the water on plants.
Onions have long been used medicinally, and the tree onion is no exception. They are nutrient-dense powerhouses, particularly rich in vitamin C, vitamin A, and antioxidants like quercetin, which can bolster the immune system and combat inflammation. Onion juice has traditionally been called upon to treat bee and wasp stings, bites, scratches, or skin fungus. More about the onion’s properties can be found here. ***
Finally, folks have successfully been making natural dyes from onion skins for ages. I haven’t done it with tree onions, but I hope that you do and I hope you tell me all about it! More about making natural dyes from onions skins.
To get tree onions for your own garden or soup pot, visit our website. This hardy plant is almost always in stock.
Happy growing!
***As always, please do your own research and visit your doctor if you are ill. This is information, not advice. We are growers, not doctors.
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