Egyptian Walking Onions

Also known as the tree onion, the walking onion or the topsetting onion, the Egyptian Walking Onion is a cold-hardy perennial that can be grown and harvested year-round.

This onion is not native to Egypt. Its name probably derives from traits once associated with "gypsy" -- a wandering nature.

Unlike most onions that grow underground as bulbs, this variety produces clusters of small bulbs at the top of a tall stalk. As the bulbs mature the stalk gets top-heavy, causing it to bend over to the ground. The young bulbs then take root away from the mother plant as if they were "walking" to a new location.

Harvest and use young leaf blades like chives or the mature ones like scallions. The little bulblets can be eaten raw, cooked or pickled, or preserved for propogation. The onion bulb can be harvested and used like any other onion.

Bulbs should be planted late summer to fall, giving the plant time to mature by the following summer. Over time, each plant will multiply and develop a clump of several plants that can be divided in spring. Separating the clumps and spacing them will yield bigger bulbs.