Allium fistulosum var. giganteum
Multiplier onions, Welsh onion
Explore the size, hardiness, soil, light, edible uses and harvest period of Allium fistulosum var. giganteum.
Common names
6 names · 3 languages- EnglishYour language
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- Multiplier onions
- Welsh onion
Other languages (2)
- Dutch
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- Grove bieslook
- Pijplook
- Stengelui
- French
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- Oignon de Trébons
Sources & name notes
Names recorded in our plant catalogue, grouped by language. Usage can vary by region.
General information
Kew's family placement for the genus Allium (WCVP v16).
Sources [1]Plant characteristics
Growing conditions
Moist
Sand (light) Loam (medium) Clay (heavy)
Acidic Neutral Alkaline
Full sun
Uses
Leaves, Flowers, Root
None
Description
Onion - raw or cooked. With its strong onion scent, it can be used in salads or as a cooked vegetable and flavoring in warm dishes. The onion bulbs are usually small, ranging from 10 to 25 mm in diameter, but can grow larger up to 45 mm and are sometimes used as spring onions. Nutritional values are available. Leaves - raw or cooked. These have a mild onion scent and can be added to salads or cooked as a vegetable. The leaves are often available during the winter, as long as the weather is not too harsh. They contain about 1.4% protein, 0.3% fat, 4.6% carbohydrates, 0.8% ash, vitamin B1, and moderate amounts of vitamin C. Flowers - raw. These have a pleasant onion scent, but the smell may linger a bit on your clothing.
Harvest
Sources and references
References for the information marked with source numbers on this page.
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Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
World Checklist of Vascular Plants, version 16, extracted 4 June 2026
Relevant sections
- Taxonomy: WCVP version 16, wcvp_names.csv: Allium fistulosum var. giganteum Makino, name ID 312137, row 1171316; Allium fistulosum L., name ID 295569, row 255331
- Botanical family: WCVP v16, wcvp_names.csv row 1169904; name ID 294888; Allium L.. Family column.
Source checked on .
Source data licence: CC BY 3.0.
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Catalogue of Life
Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20 — Allium fistulosum var. giganteum
Taxonomic data from WCVP, version 16.0, reproduced in Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20. This shares the Kew WCVP evidence base cited on this page.
Supports: TaxonomyRelevant sections
- Taxonomy: COL 2026-08-20, NameUsage.tsv line 3054560, ID 7YLHL: Allium fistulosum var. giganteum Makino (synonym). Accepted target: Allium fistulosum L., ID 65XC2, line 1940043.
Source checked on .