Tree Onion

Onions that walk

Tree onions are unlike any other allium — they produce small bulbs at the top of their flower stalks instead of (or in addition to) flowers. As these top bulbs (called bulbils) grow heavier, the stalks droop to the ground, planting the bulbils into the soil to grow into new plants.

This “walking” behavior gives the variety its alternative name “walking onion” — over years, a single tree onion plant can colonize substantial garden territory, walking across the bed bulbil by bulbil.

A perennial vegetable

Most onions are annuals (planted one year, harvested the same year), but tree onions are vigorous perennials — once established, they regrow year after year for decades with minimal care. A well-established patch:

• Survives winter even in cold climates (zone 3-9)
• Comes up early in spring
• Provides green stems for use throughout the growing season
• Produces top-set bulbils in summer
• Develops underground bulbs for harvest in fall

This perennial behavior makes tree onions a food-security asset for small home gardens — once planted, they provide onion-type ingredients essentially forever.

Two harvests, two purposes

Tree onions yield two distinct culinary products from a single plant:

Top bulbils:

• Small (cherry-tomato sized)
• Purple-red skin
• Strong, slightly sharp onion flavor
• Use whole, pickled, or chopped — can substitute for shallots

Underground bulbs:

• Larger but still smaller than typical bulb onions
• White-cream skin
• Mild onion flavor with hints of garlic
• Use like regular onions, especially in cooking

The combination of two products from one plant is a major appeal to home gardeners.

”Egyptian” but not actually Egyptian

A common alternative name for tree onions is “Egyptian walking onion” — but the variety has no documented connection to Egypt. The “Egyptian” name is a misnomer that became popular in 19th-century North America for unclear reasons.

The actual origin of tree onions is Asian — the species is a hybrid that probably arose in central Asia from wild allium ancestors. Cultivation spread westward over centuries, with the variety becoming established in Northern European and North American gardens by the 1800s.

A cottage garden favorite

In British and American cottage gardens, tree onions have a long heritage — passed down through generations of gardeners, often grown for decades in the same location. Many vintage seed catalogs from the 1880s-1920s feature tree onions; many modern heirloom seed companies still offer them.

The variety appeals to home gardeners who:

• Want low-maintenance perennial vegetables
• Prefer heirloom varieties with cultural history
• Value novelty and visual interest in the garden
• Appreciate dual-purpose food plants
• Enjoy sharing plants with neighbors (each fall produces dozens of new bulbils)

Pickled top bulbils

A traditional preparation of tree onion top bulbils is pickling — small onion bulbs preserved in vinegar with spices, similar to pearl onions. The pickled top bulbils make excellent cocktail garnishes (martinis, Gibsons), salad additions, and snack additions.

A single mature tree onion plant produces hundreds of top bulbils per season — far more than most home cooks can use fresh — making pickling a natural way to extend the harvest into year-round use.