List of onion cultivars facts for kids

Onions are amazing plants that are used in cooking all over the world! When you think of an onion, you probably picture the round, brown or red ones you see at the grocery store. But did you know there are actually many, many different types of onions? These different types are called cultivars. They are all part of the Allium plant family, which also includes garlic, chives, and leeks.

Some onion types are named after the person who first grew them, or the place they came from. Sometimes, different places might use the same common name for onions that are actually a bit different. For example, "Chinese chives" can mean two different kinds of Allium plants! This list helps us understand the many different kinds of onions, based on how scientists classify them.

What is a Cultivar?

A cultivar is a special type of plant that has been grown or bred by people for certain features. Think of it like different breeds of dogs – they are all dogs, but a poodle is very different from a golden retriever. Similarly, all onions are Allium cepa, but different cultivars might look different, taste different, or grow in different ways.

Farmers and gardeners choose specific cultivars because they want plants that are good for cooking, easy to grow, or have a unique flavor.

Exploring the World of Onions

The Allium family is huge, and many of its members are used as food. Here's a look at some of the interesting onion cultivars and related plants you might find!

Common Onions and Their Relatives

Many plants in the Allium family are called "onions" or "garlic" because they have similar smells and tastes.

• Garden Onion (Allium cepa): This is the most common onion you know! It's the one used in so many recipes.

Garden onions come in many colors and sizes.

• Cultivated Garlic (Allium sativum): Garlic is a close cousin to the onion and is also used widely in cooking.

Garlic is a popular relative of the onion.

• Garden Leek (Allium porrum): Leeks look like giant green onions and have a milder flavor.

Leeks are a tasty member of the onion family.

• Wild Chives (Allium schoenoprasum): Chives are thin, green, and have a delicate onion flavor, often used as a garnish.

Wild chives have delicate flowers.

• Welsh Onion (Allium fistulosum): Also known as bunching onions or green onions, these don't form a large bulb like regular onions.

Welsh onions are often used as green onions.

• Ramsons or Wild Garlic (Allium ursinum): This plant grows wild in forests and has a strong garlic smell.

Ramsons, or wild garlic, growing in a forest.

• Egyptian Onion (Allium proliferum): This is a special type of onion that grows small bulbs at the top of its stem, which can be planted to grow new onions! It's a mix of the garden onion and the Welsh onion.

Egyptian onions grow small bulbs on their stalks.

• Rakkyo (Allium chinense): This is a type of onion often used in Asian cuisine, especially pickled.

Rakkyo onions are popular in Asian dishes.

Onions from Specific Places

Many onion cultivars are named after the places where they were first found or are commonly grown.

• Aspen Onion (Allium bisceptrum): Found in the western parts of North America.

The Aspen onion has beautiful purple flowers.

• Coastal Onion (Allium dichlamydeum): Grows near the coast.

Coastal onions thrive near the sea.

• Nevada Onion (Allium nevadense): As the name suggests, this onion is found in Nevada.

A Nevada onion in bloom.

• Yosemite Onion (Allium yosemitense): This onion is native to the Yosemite area.

The Yosemite onion is found in its namesake park.

Onions with Unique Looks or Habits

Some onions have interesting features that make them stand out.

• Black Garlic (Allium nigrum): Despite its name, this onion has white flowers, not black! The "black garlic" you might see in stores is actually regular garlic that has been aged until it turns black and sweet.

The flowers of Allium nigrum.

• Crinkled Onion (Allium crispum): This onion has petals that look a bit crinkled.

The crinkled petals of Allium crispum.

• Nodding Onion (Allium cernuum): Its flowers droop or "nod" downwards.

The nodding flowers of Allium cernuum.

• One-leaf Onion (Allium unifolium): This onion often grows with just one leaf.

The unique single leaf of Allium unifolium.

• Twinleaf Onion (Allium anceps): This onion typically has two leaves.

The twin leaves of Allium anceps.

Images for kids

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  Aspen onion

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  Autumn onion

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  Bear garlic, Ramsons, Wild Garlic

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  Black garlic

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  Brandegee's onion

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  Broadleaf wild leek

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  Broadstemmed onion

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  Bulbil onion

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  Cascade onion

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  Chinese chives

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  Coastal onion

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  Columbian onion

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  Compact onion

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  Congdon's onion

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  Crinkled onion

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  Cuddy Mountain onion

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  Cultivated garlic

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  Drummond's onion

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  Dusky onion

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  Early onion

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  Egyptian onion

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  Field garlic

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  Fraser meadow garlic

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  Fringed onion

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  Garden leek

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  Garden onion

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  Geyer's onion

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  Glassy onion

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  Jepson's onion

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  Jeweled onion

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  Kern's pitted onion

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  Little River Canyon onion

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  Manyflower onion

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  Mediterranean onion

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  Mexicali onion

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  Mojave fringed onion

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  Munz's onion

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  Narrowleaf onion

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  Nevada onion

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  New Mexican nodding onion

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  Nodding onion

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  Olympic onion

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  One-leaf onion

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  Pacific onion

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  Parish's onion

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  Peninsula onion

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  Pitted onion

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  Rakkyo

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  Ramp

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  Rawhide Hill onion

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  Red Sierra onion

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  Redskin onion

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  Robinson's onion

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  Rock onion

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  Sanborn's onion

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  Sand leek

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  Scytheleaf onion

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  Siskiyou onion

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  Small onion

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  Spanish Needle onion

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  Tapertip onion

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  Textile onion

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  Threecorner leek

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  Toothed onion

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  Twincrest onion

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  Twinleaf onion

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  Victory onion

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  Welsh onion

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  White garlic

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  Wild chives

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  Wild garlic

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  Wild onion

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  Yosemite onion