Herb
Chives
Allium schoenoprasum · Amaryllidaceae
Also called: Common chives, Onion chives
Chives (Allium schoenoprasum) is a moderate-water herb well suited to Tucson and the low desert. It thrives in full sun in cool months, with a moderate growth rate. Expect lavender-pink to purple blooms spring.
Chives at a glance
- Water use
- Moderate (established)
- Sun
- Full sun in cool months; appreciates afternoon shade as temperatures climb in late spring and summer in Tucson.
- Mature size
- 8-15 in tall and wide as a grass-like clump.
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Bloom
- Lavender-pink to purple, Spring (lavender-pink edible globe flowers), typically March-April in Tucson.
- Cold hardiness
- Cold-hardy perennial (roots survive Tucson winters and frost); foliage may die back during hard freezes and rebound. Heat-sensitive: tends to go semi-dormant or decline in peak summer heat.
- Soil
- Well-drained soil enriched with compost/organic matter; tolerates Tucson's alkaline soil but performs best with amended beds or containers; pH near neutral to slightly alkaline.
- Native range
- Europe, Asia, and North America (cool temperate Northern Hemisphere); not native to the Sonoran Desert
- Best used as
- Culinary herb (mild onion flavor for garnishes, eggs, potatoes), Edible flowers, Container/kitchen-garden plant, Pollinator-friendly border
- Wildlife
- Flowers attract bees and pollinators; the onion odor tends to deter deer, rabbits, and some pests.
- Toxicity
- Toxic to dogs and cats (all Allium species cause damage to red blood cells); safe and edible for humans.
How to grow Chives in Tucson & the low desert
Watering
Keep soil consistently moist but not soggy; in Tucson water roughly 2-3x/week in mild weather and daily in containers during heat. Mulch to conserve moisture and cool roots.
Fertilizer & nutrients
Light feeder; work compost into the bed at planting and side-dress with a balanced or nitrogen-leaning fertilizer (e.g., fish emulsion) every 4-6 weeks during active growth to keep blades tender.
Pruning & care
Harvest by snipping blades to about 1-2 in above the soil; regular cutting promotes fresh tender regrowth. Remove spent flower stalks to redirect energy to foliage.
Notes
Best grown as a cool-season perennial herb in Tucson: plant transplants or divisions in fall through early spring so the clump establishes before summer heat. Provide afternoon shade and extra water through summer; many Tucson gardeners treat it as a fall-spring crop. Easy in containers, which makes summer shade-relocation simple. Divide clumps every 2-3 years.
Sources: University of Arizona Cooperative Extension; Pima County Master Gardeners; AMWUA Landscape Plants for the Arizona Desert