Garlic chives

Allium tuberosum

Family: Amaryllidaceae

Pet & Human Safety

People: Toxic to people (low severity)Pets: Toxic to pets

Human edibility

Not yet checked.

Edible parts

Not yet checked.

Hazardous parts

flowers, fruits, leaves, roots, seeds, stems

Preparation

Not yet checked.

Hazard type

sulfides (NC State)

Hazard route

ingestion

How complete this information is

The safety information on this page is partial. Where a source covers a point, it is shown; where none does, the page says so.

Toxic to pets

Carried from sibling Allium pages, not a page for Allium tuberosum: ASPCA lists chives (Allium schoenoprasum) and garlic (Allium sativum) as toxic to dogs, cats and horses (N-propyl disulfide; vomiting, breakdown of red blood cells, blood in urine, weakness, high heart rate, panting). ASPCA /chives is not garlic chives. ASPCA has no garlic-chives entry. Treat garlic chives as toxic to pets.

Look-alike warning

Could be mistaken for Look-alike plants. To tell them apart: NC State: Allium tuberosum is often confused with Allium tricoccum (wild leek / ramps) and Tulbaghia violacea (society garlic)..

Look-alike warning

Could be mistaken for Plants that share its name. To tell them apart: NC State lists "Wild Leek" as a common name for garlic chives, but wild leek / ramps is Allium tricoccum, a different, foraged plant (WCVP also records Allium tricoccum Blanco as a misapplied name for A. tuberosum). Never treat a wild-leek label as garlic chives or the reverse. ASPCA's /chives page is Allium schoenoprasum, a different species..

Poison control

If someone has collapsed, cannot be woken, is having a seizure or has trouble breathing, call 911 now. For any other possible poisoning, call Poison Help: 1-800-222-1222.

Emergency number source: U.S. federal law (47 U.S.C. § 251(e)(3)), read 2026-10-07.

Naturalist Lore

Historical Background & Breeding Lore

The history of this plant and its name, and how it was bred, where we have them.

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Care

Hardiness zones: USDA 3a to 9b (NC State record lists zones 3a through 9b).
Water needs: Soil drainage "good" and "moist"; "Bulb rot can occur in too wet soils" (NC State)
Mature size: Height: NC State lists "0 ft. 6 in. - 0 ft. 4 in." (the two figures look reversed; read as roughly 4 to 6 inches of leaf height as printed) with leaves described as up to 12 inches long and flower stems 6 to 15 inches; width 1 ft. Spacing: NC State: available space to plant "less than 12 inches". TAMU (Texas): space plants 5 inches apart.

Soil & Drainage

Pruning & Flush Rhythm

Feeding Schedule

How to prepare the soil, when and what to feed, and how and when to prune where that applies.

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