Chives
Allium schoenoprasum
Also called Garden chives
Garden plant · Herbs, veg & fruitCut a whole handful low rather than snipping tips. It regrows from the base, not the cut.
Care at a glance
- Ease
- Easy
- Water
- Every 4 daysWater the ground — water at the base, in the morning, not over the leaves.
- Light
- Full sun to part shade
- Feed
- Every 30 days
- Humidity
- Average
- Hardiness
- Hardy — a very cold winter RHS H6, to -20°C
- Size
- 0.3 m tall · 0.05 m across
- Lifecycle
- Perennial
- Origin
- Europe and Asia
Is it safe for pets and people?
PetsToxic to pets
Affects dogs, cats, horses. Signs: vomiting, damage to the red blood cells (anaemia), blood in the urine, weakness, a racing heart and panting.
PeopleNothing recorded against it
Safe to eat: leaves and flowers.
Checked against ASPCA and RHS on 2026-07-31.
A guide, not veterinary or medical advice. If a pet or a person has eaten a plant and you are worried, call your vet or doctor now — don’t wait for signs to appear. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
First signs of trouble
- One clump yellows and dies back from the leaf tips while the clumps beside it stay green; lift it and the base is furred with white mould speckled with black poppy-seed dots.Onion white rot · disease
- Pale oval patches on the older leaves that go furry grey-violet on a damp morning, then collapse from the tip downward.Onion downy mildew · disease