If your only experience with chives is buying them at the store, it's time to learn about growing this herb at home.
Chives: How to Grow, Harvest and Use Chives
Updated on Sep. 26, 2024
If you’ve never grown chives before, you’re in for a treat! They are one of the easiest herbs to grow at home, last all season and can be used to garnish and flavor so many dishes.
What Are Chives?
Chives are a relative of onions and leeks, but they’re classified as an herb. (Here’s the difference between chives, scallions and green onions.) Chives have tall, dark green, slender leaves that are hollow inside. The blooms on chive plants are beautiful, pale purple globes made of tiny flower clusters. All parts of the chive plant are edible, though it’s primarily grown for the leaves. Chives have a delicate onion flavor in both the leaves and flowers.
The Difference Between Chives, Scallions and Garlic Chives
Scallions are a different species of allium than chives. They are taller and with larger, lighter green leaves. Some plants that are actually immature onions (green onions) may be referred to as scallions. In either case, these have a much stronger, more intense onion flavor than chives.
Garlic chives look more similar to true chives—dark green leaves and a grass-like appearance, but again are a different species. The leaves of garlic chives are flat and have a flavor that is more garlicky than oniony.
How to Grow Chives
Not only are chives a cinch to start growing, they’re a perennial herb—meaning they will grow in your garden for years! Chives are hardy to grow in zones 3 through 10. One way to grow chives is to divide an existing plant—ask a neighbor or family member if they’ll dig up a few for you. Or you can start chives from seed. The seeds are tiny, the size and color of poppy seeds. Plant them 1/4-inch deep in well-drained soil. You can plant them to grow in a clump or in a tidy row in your vegetable garden.
Chives are an excellent option for herb container gardening, and you can also plant them in your landscape gardens.
When to Harvest Chives
Chives are ready to harvest once they reach six inches in height. Choose stems that are firm with no browning, and snip them using sharp scissors. The plant will regrow leaves all season long, so harvest them often.
When the purple flowers appear in early summer, you have two options: snip them off right away so the plant’s energy will go into growing leaves, or let the flowers stay until they are dry and faded. At this point they are full of seeds (over 100 seeds per flower head).
Snip them off to prevent the seeds from scattering—you can save these seeds to plant next year.
How to Cook with Fresh Chives
The flavor of chives is delicate, so when using the herb in recipes, add them toward the end of cooking time to preserve the flavor. Use scissors to snip chives into fluffy omelets and creamy mashed potatoes. Chives make a beautiful garnish when scattered over steamed vegetables, fresh salads or summery pasta dishes like pasta primavera. Make an herb butter with chives as a savory accompaniment to corn on the cob or hot biscuits. And of course, chives are delicious blended into cream cheese to spread over homemade bagels.
How to Cook with Chive Flowers
Don’t forget about the chive flowers—they’re edible, too! Gently pull the clusters apart, then scatter the tiny flowers over salads and hors d’oeuvres. Or make chive blossom vinegar: Fill a bottle with just-opened chive blossoms, then fill the bottle with white vinegar. After two weeks, strain the vinegar, and use it for vinaigrettes and to finish cooked dishes.
Our Best Recipes with Fresh Chives
Pork & Chive Pot StickersHere's my top make-ahead appetizer. They are a lot more nutritious than the ones you get at a restaurant. My three kids are old enough to cook these themselves, right from the freezer. —Marisa Raponi, Vaughan, Ontario
French Potato SaladFrench potato salad is vinegar-based instead of creamy, made with Dijon mustard, olive oil, scallions or shallots, and fresh herbs. —Taste Recipes Test Kitchen
Buffet Scrambled EggsThese are my favorite scrambled eggs. The white sauce, flavored with chicken bouillon, keeps the eggs creamy and moist. It's a tasty twist on a morning mainstay.
Dill & Chive PeasGrowing my own vegetables and herbs helps keep things fresh in the kitchen, but frozen peas make this side is a breeze to prepare. —Tanna Richard, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Broccoli & Chive Stuffed Mini PeppersThere's plenty of both crunch and cream in these party appetizers. Fresh chives help them really stand out. —Jean McKenzie, Vancouver, Washington
Eggs LorraineEasy and elegant, this is one of my favorite special-occasion dishes. It’s absolutely delicious! —Sandra Woolard, DeLand, Florida
Herby Pea SaladWe love spring vegetables. One Mother's Day I came up with this flavorful green salad that everyone enjoyed. You could increase the dressing and mix in some cooked small pasta, like acini de pepe, to make it a more robust salad. —Ann Sheehy, Lawrence, Massachusetts
Sausage Chive PinwheelsThese spirals are simple to make but look special on a buffet. Our guests eagerly help themselves, and sometimes the eye-catching pinwheels never even make it to their plates! —Gail Sykora, Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin
Cast-Iron Scrambled EggsI love these easy cast-iron scrambled eggs, which use fresh ingredients that I usually have on hand. They make a quick and simple breakfast! — Bonnie Hawkins, Elkhorn, Wisconsin
Herbed Onion BagelsI create my delightful bagels by adapting several other recipes. I enjoy them spread with cream cheese or onion and chive cream cheese. —Pam Kaiser, Mansfield, Missouri
Split Pea SoupThis split pea soup is hearty and soul-warming, just the thing for a cold day.
Feta ‘n’ Chive MuffinsThis is a “spring” variation on the savory muffins my husband has made for years. It has a light texture almost like a popover and tastes best eaten hot right from the oven. —Angela Buchanan, Boulder, Colorado
Chive Buttered CarrotsIt's nice to have a reliable side dish like this that pairs well with any entree. A friend shared the recipe with me several years ago, and I use it often. —Opan Snell, Jamestown, Ohio
Chive Pinwheel RollsThese light, pleasant-tasting rolls complement almost any entree. With the chive filling swirled through the golden bread, they're attractive enough for special occasions. —Ann Niemela, Ely, Minnesota
Sour Cream & Chives Mashed PotatoesThis recipe is a family favorite that always stirs up good memories and moments. It's requested for Thanksgiving, Christmas, birthday parties, potlucks and other gatherings. It's simple to make and delicious to eat. If I make it early in the day I finish this dish for about 20 minutes in the oven, but you can use the stovetop to free up oven space for the turkey. —Linda Williams, Florence, Alabama
Chive Crab CakesThese tasty crab cakes are perfect for appetizers, or try them with a salad for a light meal. —Cindy Worth, Lapwai, Idaho
Chive Smashed PotatoesNo need to peel the potatoes—in fact, this is the only way we make mashed potatoes anymore. They’re chunky, tasty and attractive. And the flavored cream cheese is a delightful twist! —Beverly Norris, Evanston, Wyoming
Crab-Stuffed Flounder with Herbed AioliIf you like seafood, you’ll love this scrumptious flounder. The light and creamy aioli sauce tops it off with fresh tones of chives and garlic. —Beverly O'Ferrall, Linkwood, Maryland
Cheese & Garlic BiscuitsMy biscuits won the prize for best quick bread at my county fair. One of the judges liked them so much, she asked for the recipe! These buttery, savory biscuits go with just about anything. —Gloria Jarrett, Loveland, Ohio
Cream Cheese & Chive OmeletThe first bite of creamy filling lets you know this isn’t any old omelet. Make it once, and we suspect you’ll be fixing it often. —Anne Troise, Manalapan, New Jersey
Scrambled Eggs with Cream CheeseMy mother-in-law introduced me to this scrambled eggs with cream cheese recipe, and now it's my kids' favorite breakfast. They really love it. —Jacque Hunt, Heyburn, Idaho
Mini Sausage QuichesThese bite-sized quiches are loaded with sausage and cheese—and all nestled into easy crescent roll dough. Serve the cute muffinettes at any brunch or potluck gathering. —Jan Mead, Milford, Connecticut
Loaded Red Potato CasseroleThis potato casserole has the same flavor of the potato skins you can order as a restaurant appetizer. It's an ideal dish for tailgating and potlucks. —Charlane Gathy, Lexington, Kentucky
