Meet the Allium Family

Again and again, gardening confirms how incredibly minimal our consumption of species diversity is. In my household, there’s someone cutting an onion for dinner every single night. And to be fair, I guess most people do. It’s always there. Yet the diversity we actually use is pretty much… yellow or red. Like what?! There are so many varieties in this amazing family. And in my opunion (sorry, couldn’t resist), there’s a whole world of flavor, beauty, and history we’re missing out on.

Sometimes, I just want to grow onions that are literally called Walla Walla. Don’t mind me if I do.

So let’s meet the extended Allium family; the spicy, teary-eyed relatives you know, the ancient ones you didn’t expect, and the perennial oddballs that keep coming back.

The Long History of Onions

Onions are among the oldest cultivated vegetables in the world. Archaeological evidence shows they were grown in Central Asia and the Middle East over 5,000 years ago. Ancient Egyptians adored them: onions were buried with pharaohs, symbolizing eternal life thanks to their endless rings. The Greeks trained athletes on diets full of onions, while the Romans believed onions improved strength and courage.

By the Middle Ages, onions were so valuable in Europe that they were used to pay rent and even given as wedding gifts. (Romantic, right? “Honey, I got you… onions.”)

Garlic, leeks, and chives share similar pedigrees, all part of the Allium family, which includes over 900 species worldwide. Today, we mostly lean on a few supermarket staples, but the family tree is much richer.

The Classics: Bulbing Alliums

• Yellow Onion: The global workhorse. Strong flavor, long storage.
• Red Onion: Likely originating from the Meditarranean. Sweeter, milder and beautiful raw in salads. Though less storable.
• White onion: Popular in Latin American cooking for centuries. Sharper, spicier, but with shorter shelf life.
• Shallots: Brought to Europe by Crusaders from the Middle East. Cluster-forming, sweet and subtle.
• Cipollini Onions: From Italy, bred for their high sugar content.

The Perennial Oddballs

• Welsh Onion (Allium fistulosum): Despite the name, this perennial comes from China, cultivated there for over 1,000 years. Never bulbs, just keeps giving green shoots every spring.
• Egyptian Walking Onion (Allium x proliferum): A medieval European curiosity, this hybrid reproduces via little bulbs that topple over and ‘walk’ across your garden.
• Chives (Allium Schoenoprasum): Native to both Europe and Asia, chives have been harvested since the Middle Ages. Their purple pompoms attract pollinators while you snip the leaves.
• Leeks (Allium ampeloprasum var. porrum): Cultivated since ancient Egypt and Rome, leeks are mild and just awesome.

The Surprise Alliums

Not everything onion-y looks like an onion!

• Scallions / Spring Onions (young Allium cepa): Harvested before bulbing, these are basically teenage onions. Tender, mild, and fast-growing. Many people don’t realize they’re just “unfinished onions.” 
• Garlic: Traced back over 4,000 years, used in medicine and rituals. Egyptians fed it to pyramid builders for strength.
• Ornamental Alliums: Those tall garden fireworks with purple globe flowers? Still onions. They were first popularized in Victorian ornamental gardens.

Why do onions make us cry?

It’s all chemistry.

1. Cutting an onion breaks its cells
2. Those cells release an enzyme called alliinase
3. Alliinase reacts with sulfur compounds (absorbed from the soil) to produce ‘syn-Propanethial-S-Oxide’ (a volatile gas). Perfect word for when you’re playing Hangman.
4. That volatile gas drifts upward, stinging your eyes. Your tear glands release water to flush it out.

Cooking, chilling or soaking onions in water before chopping can reduce that reaction! But in short: onions evolved chemical tear gas to discourage predators.

Which makes me suddenly realize that I’m the predator here. Chopping through their defenses every evening. Now I feel kinda bad for the fam. 

Why plant diverse Alliums?

Each variety in the Allium family brings its own flavor to the table, from the fiery kick of white onions to the candy-like sweetness of Cipollini. By mixing annuals with perennials, you can enjoy harvests almost all year round. 

Growing heirloom varieties also means you’re keeping history alive in your garden, connecting directly to thousands of years of food culture! It’s not just about the kitchen either; ornamental Alliums draw in pollinators, while diversity in your beds makes your crops more resilient and less likely to be wiped out by disease.

Planting Now (September–October)

This is the perfect time to:

• Plant garlic cloves for harvest next summer.
• Plant shallot sets for gourmet bulbs by midsummer.
• Put in overwintering onion sets for an early summer harvest.
• Establish perennial Alliums like Welsh onions and walking onions.

Wanna know more about how to plant them? Check out this piece by Erin on** how to grow amazing Alliums,** full of practical tips to get your onion patch thriving.

Final Thought

The Allium family is ancient and diverse. From the reliable yellow onion to the flamboyant red, the wandering Egyptian, and the delicate chive, this clan has shaped kitchens and cultures for millennia. Planting a few new varieties this autumn means you’ll not only expand your harvest, you’ll also be growing a slice of history, resilience, and flavor that goes far beyond the supermarket net bag.

Like always, be mindful of the plants you eat. They’ve developed defenses, strategies, and quirks to make it this far. In their own way, they’re survivors, and a life, no matter how small, deserves respect.