The handy Chinese Onion

The Chinese onion is known by many names—called rakkyo in Japan or yeombuchu in Korea. It is a hardy plant native to China and naturalized in Japan, Korea, Russia and Mongolia. It grows as a dense evergreen clump with small, pretty, deep rose pink flowers in spring into summer. It is tolerant of a range of growing conditions. These plants may go dormant in early summer, and return to growing during monsoon or at the latest, fall. They multiply almost as much as multiplier onions.

Owing to its very mild and "fresh" taste A. chinense is often pickled and served as a side dish to balance the stronger flavor of some other component in a meal.

Bunching onions like the Chinese onion are a good choice for home gardeners. These onions do not produce large bulbs but are useful because you can harvest a few "green" onions (small bulbs and leaves) as you need them while they are growing. You may also harvest only a few leaves for flavoring a salad, soup, or other dish.

Japanese pickled rakkyo

Grow in full to part sun in well-drained, but enriched garden soil, regular water, and feed occasionally with an organic fertilizer. When they go dormant in the summer, you can harvest some, divide some, and replant. They will green up again either immediately or wait until monsoon season or fall.

You can also harvest as needed or use the tops like chives.