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.

A Family With Many Faces

As a triplet myself, I’ve always thought of my family as pretty big. But it’s nothing compared to this one. You may know the brassica family as just cabbages and cauliflowers, yet the Brassicaceae clan is much larger than most people imagine. It has around 370 genera and over 4,000 species, making it one of the most important plant families in both our gardens and our kitchens.

Some members include:

• Kale and collards
• Broccoli and cauliflower
• Brussels sprouts
• Kohlrabi
• Radishes and turnips
• Bokchoy, mizuna, arugula (yes really!), mustard greens

So, amazingly, many of these vegetables all come from one of the 4,000 species: Brassica Oleracea. They are carefully bred of centuries to emphasize different parts of the plant. Leaves, stems, buds, flowers, roots, they are all transformed into unique crops, yet bound by family ties.

Why Autumn is Their Season

Brassicas thrive when the air is cool and crisp. They dislike the stress of high summer heat, but as soon as autumn rolls in, they grow strong and sweet.

In fact, many brassicas taste even better after the first frost! Why, you ask? Here’s the cool part: cold weather triggers chemical changes that turn starches into sugars, making kale sweeter and Brussels sprouts less bitter. So instead of bundling up in warmer clothes like we do, they literally change their chemistry. Plants are way cooler than us (kidding… kinda).

In short, where summer crops retreat, brassicas shine. They are the bridge between seasons, carrying us from the abundance of late summer into the steady rhythm of winter harvests.

Fun Facts to Share Around the Dinner Table

• The brassica family includes crops, herbs and even ornamentals!

• • Canola oil (a staple cooking oil worldwide) comes from a brassica too: Brassica napus.

  • • Brassicas are also called “crucifers” because their four-petaled flowers look like a cross.
• This fam is a nutritional powerhouse! They are packed with vitamins C, K and folates. Plus compounds called glucosinolates that give them their characteristic mustardy bite. And, and, and this is also the compound that protect the plant from pests (and ironically, they’re also linked to health benefits for us)! You should totally flex this glucosinolates-fact at dinner.
• Broccoli and cauliflower are essentially the same plant, just bred for different flower structure.

Caring for Brassicas in Your Garden

Soil & Feeding

• Brassicas are hungry plants! Give them fertile, well-drained soil enriched with compost.
• They thrive with steady moisture and benefit from a balanced organic fertiliser.

Planting Time

• Late summer is perfect for sowing fast growers like arugula, mustard and radishes for autumn salads.
• Kale, cabbages and brussels sprouts can be transplanted now and will be ready to harvest as autumn deepens.

Frost is a Friend

• Don’t fear the cold, frost improves the flavor! With a little protection (row covers, mulch) many brassicas will carry you right into winter.

Pest and Protection

Okay, this is an important one. Brassicas are vulnerable to diseases. The most serious is clubroot, a soilborne parasite that causes swollen roots and stunted growth. Once present, it can survive in the soil for up to 20 years! Because all members of the brassica family are susceptible, it’s very important to rotate them as a group.

Rotation helps because it:

• Breaks pest and disease cycles
• Lets the soil recover nutrients
• Keeps plants healthier and yields stronger

A Simple 4-Year Rotation Plan

Here’s a beginner-friendly rotation cycle you could use:

Year 1 -> Brassicas (so your cabbage, kale, broccoli, etc.)

Year 2 -> Legumes (peas, beans): add nitrogen to soil

Year 3 -> Roots & Alliums (Carrots, beets, onions, garlic)

Year 4 -> Fruiting crops (tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, squash)

Then back to year 1 with brassicas. The key: Don’t plant brassicas in the same soil two years in a row.

Using Planter’s Growing Guide

To make rotation simple, use the Planter app’s growing guide:

• Each crop is tagged with its plant family, so you know which ones count as brassicas.
• Planting calendars help you plan sowing and transplanting at the right time.
• Care tips keep track of spacing, feeding and watering needs. By marking wat you’ve planted in each bed, you can easily see when and where to rate crops next season.

When summer crops fade, brassicas take over. They’re tough, nutritious, and often taste best in the cool of autumn. By giving them fertile soil, protection from pests, and a good crop rotation, they’ll reward you with months of fresh harvests.

Happy gardening!