Plants
Chives
Allium schoenoprasum · Amaryllidaceae
Chives are perhaps the most German of all kitchen herbs: on buttered bread, in scrambled eggs, over soup — and as a winter-hardy bulb plant they are nearly indestructible. Their pink-violet flower globes are edible and a small bee pasture on top. One important note for pet owners: like all alliums, chives are toxic to cats and dogs.
- Light
- Sunny to semi-shaded — noticeably more shade-tolerant than Mediterranean herbs.
- Watering
- Regular and evenly moist; a drying root ball is answered with yellowing stalks.
- Care level
- Easy
- Botanical
- Allium schoenoprasum
Botanically, chives are a true allium and thus closer kin to onion and garlic than to the classic herbs — they belong to the same genus Allium as the ornamental onion in the perennial border. The hollow, tubular leaves grow from small bulbs that multiply over time into dense clumps in the pot.
Unlike Mediterranean herbs, chives like it nutrient-rich and evenly moist: a sunny to semi-shaded spot, good soil and regular watering are all they need. If the root ball dries out, the tubes turn yellow and limp — but after a bold cutback and a good soak the clump almost always shoots through again.
The most important harvesting trick: always cut in bunches close to the ground, about two centimetres above the soil, instead of snipping tips off the top. Nothing regrows from a cut tube, but the base sprouts back all the more vigorously. Divide the pot into zones and harvest in rotation for a continuous fresh supply.
The spherical flowers in May and June are more than decoration: they taste mildly oniony and look pretty in salads. Flowering stalks themselves turn tough, though — pinch out the buds if you want a big harvest, or leave a section standing if you want to feed the bees. Two pots let you do both.
For pet households chives are unfortunately not a harmless herb: like onion and garlic they contain sulphur compounds that can destroy red blood cells in cats and dogs. Cats react particularly sensitively, and because the grass-like stalks invite nibbling, the pot must be placed out of animals' reach.
Is Chives toxic to children and pets?
- Children
- Non-toxic
- Cats
- Highly toxic
- Dogs
- Toxic
For people, chives are an ordinary culinary herb. For cats and dogs, however, they are toxic like all alliums: sulphur compounds can damage red blood cells, and cats react particularly sensitively, even to smaller amounts. Keep the pot strictly out of animals' reach and contact a vet if ingestion is suspected.
Typical symptoms: In animals often only after one to several days: vomiting, diarrhoea, lethargy, pale gums, rapid heartbeat and dark urine as signs of anaemia (haemolysis).
In an emergency:call the German poison control centre in Bonn on +49 228 19240 (24/7) — for pets, contact an emergency vet directly. This information does not replace medical or veterinary advice.
Overview: toxic & non-toxic plants for cats, dogs and children
Care
- 01Place it sunny to semi-shaded; chives do not need a full-sun position.
- 02Keep it evenly moist — unlike Mediterranean herbs it dislikes dry spells.
- 03Plant in nutrient-rich soil and feed monthly during the season.
- 04Harvest in bunches about two centimetres above the soil, never just topping the tips.
- 05Divide the clump every two to three years and replant in fresh soil.
- 06In winter the pot may die back outdoors — chives are fully hardy and re-sprout in spring.
Frequently asked
- Are chives toxic to cats?
- Yes. Like onion and garlic, chives are alliums whose sulphur compounds can destroy red blood cells in cats — and cats are especially susceptible. Symptoms such as lethargy, pale gums or dark urine may only appear days later. The pot therefore belongs out of reach.
- Why don't my chives regrow after cutting?
- Most likely it was cut too high or only plucked at the tips: a cut tube does not keep growing. The right way is a low cut about two centimetres above the soil — the clump re-sprouts vigorously from there. A starved, root-bound pot also slows regrowth; in that case divide and repot fresh.
- Can you eat chive flowers?
- Yes, the pink-violet flower globes are edible and taste mildly of onion — pretty plucked over salads or herb butter. The flowering stalks themselves turn hard and chewy, though. If stalks are your main harvest, pinch out the buds early.
- Are chives winter-hardy?
- Yes, completely. Chives die back above ground in autumn and, as a clump of bulbs in soil or pot, ride out hard frosts without trouble. In spring they re-sprout on their own. For a winter harvest, bring a pot onto a bright windowsill in December after a cold spell — the cold stimulus wakes it up.