Terms of flowering honey plants in the USA and Canada

According to observations of naturalists and beekeepers.

Where are you?


Scientific name:

Allium schoenoprasum

Common name(s):

Chives.

Life form:

Forb.

Flowering time:

no data.

Flowering period

in Utah for this plant is: MaySeptember.

NECTAR PRODUCTION: 
Minor
 
SOURCE FOR HONEY BEES:
Minor

General distribution:

Chives, scientific name Allium schoenoprasum, are cultivated both for their culinary uses and their ornamental value. These small bulbous perennials feature attractive, pale lavender, globular flowers and thin, grass-like, dark green leaves which typically grow in clumps up to 30-45 cm (12-18 inches). With a strong onion or garlic scent, they are generally pest and disease-free!

A perennial plant, it is widespread in nature across much of Europe, Asia, and North America.

Chives are a commonly used herb and can be found in grocery stores or grown in home gardens. In culinary use, the green stalks (scapes) and the unopened, immature flower buds are diced and used as an ingredient for omelets, fish, potatoes, soups, and many other dishes. The edible flowers can be used in salads. Chives have insect-repelling properties that can be used in gardens to control pests.

Map of distribution and habitat in USA

This plant is present in at least 40 states/provinces in this country.

See The Map

Botanical description:

Chives are a bulb-forming herbaceous perennial plant, growing to 30–50 cm tall. The bulbs are slender, conical, 2–3 cm long and 1 cm broad, and grow in dense clusters from the roots. The scapes (or stems) are hollow and tubular, up to 50 cm long and 2–3 mm across, with a soft texture, although, prior to the emergence of a flower, they may appear stiffer than usual. The grass-like leaves, which are shorter than the scapes, are also hollow and tubular, or terete, (round in cross-section) which distinguishes it at a glance from garlic chives (Allium tuberosum). The flowers are pale purple, and star-shaped with six petals, 1–2 cm wide, and produced in a dense inflorescence of 10-30 together; before opening, the inflorescence is surrounded by a papery bract. The seeds are produced in a small, three-valved capsule, maturing in summer. 

Seasonal development:

Blooming in late spring - late summer, both flowers, and leaves are edible. The flowers are perfect in salads while leaves are widely used as a culinary herb.
The flowers are attractive to pollinators and are frequently visited by bumblebees and other types of bees.


Average rating 4.6/5 based on 45 reviews.



You can share information about this plant with your friends in your Facebook feed.


List of honey plants that may be blooming now in Utah
See the entire list

Salix bebbiana (aka: Bebb willow, Beak willow, Beaked willow, Long-beaked willow, Diamond willow, Chaton, Petit Minou, Smooth Bebb willow)

Rhus glabra (aka: Smooth sumac, Common sumac, Rocky Mountain sumac, Red sumac, Western sumac, White sumac)

Salix monticola (aka: Park willow, Cherry willow, Mountain willow, Serviceberry willow, White willow)

Rhamnus cathartica (aka: Common buckthorn, European buckthorn, Dahurian buckthorn)

Rubus idaeus (aka: Raspberry, Black-haired red raspberry, Brilliant red raspberry, American red raspberry, Red raspberry, Smoothleaf red raspberry, Wild raspberry, Wild red raspberry, Grayleaf raspberry)

Allium schoenoprasum (aka: Chives)

Sinapis arvensis (aka: Charlock mustard, California rape, Charlock, Corn mustard, Canola, Kaber mustard, Rapeseed mustard)

Asclepias tuberosa (aka: Butterflyweed, Butterfly Milkweed, Orange Milkweed, Pleurisy Root, Chigger Flower, Canada root, Fluxroot, Indian paintbrush, Indian posy, Orange root, Orange Swallow-wort, Tuber root, Yellow milkweed, White-root, Windroot, Butterfly love)

Amorpha fruticosa (aka: Desert false indigo, False indigo-bush, Bastard indigobush, Indigo Bush)

Rubus parviflorus (aka: Thimbleberry, Western thimbleberry)

Salix brachycarpa (aka: Shortfruit willow, Barren-ground willow, Small-fruit sand dune willow, Small-fruit willow)

Salix geyeriana (aka: Geyer willow, Silver willow)

Salix planifolia (aka: Diamondleaf willow, Planeleaf willow)

Rubus armeniacus (aka: Himalayan blackberry, Rubus discolor, Rubus procerus)

Brassica rapa (aka: Field mustard, Common mustard, Wild mustard, Wild turnip, Forage turnip, Wild rutabaga, Birdsrape mustard, Rape mustard)

Echium vulgare (aka: Viper's bugloss, Blueweed, Blue thistle)

Cucumis sativus (aka: Cucumber, Cetriolo, Gherkin)

Cucumis melo (aka: Cantaloupe, Rockmelon, Sweet melon, Spanspek, Honeydew melon, Honeymelon, Crenshaw, Casaba)

Citrullus lanatus (aka: Watermelon)

Borago officinalis (aka: Borage, Starflower, Common borage, Cool-tankard, Tailwort)

Cirsium arvense (aka: Creeping Thistle, Canada thistle, Field thistle, California thistle, Lettuce from hell thistle, Corn thistle, Cursed thistle, Green thistle, Hard thistle, Perennial thistle, Prickly thistle, Small-flowered thistle, Way thistle, Stinger-needles)