Onions vs. Green Onions, Scallions, Spring Onions or Bunching Onions, Explained

Are bunching onions the same as green onions?
What is the difference between scallions and spring onions?
What's the difference between chives green onions and scallions?
What are bunching onions used for?
What should not be planted next to onions?
Are scallions just onion tops?
Do spring onions turn into onions?
Do scallions turn into onions?
Can you eat the green tops of onions?
Why are green onions called chives?
Can I use green onions instead of scallions?
How long can you regrow green onions?

Are bunching onions the same as green onions?

Scallions, or “bunching onions,” are a special type of green onion that do not have a bulb. Other green onions are harvested before the bulbs are fully formed, giving them a strong and robust flavor that is much more pungent than traditional yellow, red or white onions.

What is the difference between scallions and spring onions?

The Bottom Line

The difference between scallions, green onions and spring onions is age or the time they grow before being harvested. You can identify them by their bulb— scallions have the thinnest, usually no wider than the onion's stem, while green onions' bulbs are slightly larger and spring onions' are round.

What's the difference between chives green onions and scallions?

Green onions and scallions come from the same onion species, while chives are considered an herb and come from a different species of plant. Chives have a bright, mild flavor and are a favorite topping for hearty breakfasts like a ham and Swiss omelet or simple appetizers like deviled eggs.

What are bunching onions used for?

Bunching onions (Allium fistulosum L.) produce no true bulbs, but are grown instead for their steams and leaves, which are used for flavoring many dishes. These perennial onions are grown as annuals or overwintered for harvest in early spring.

What should not be planted next to onions?

Onions make great planting companions due to their ability to improve the flavor of their companion plants, as well as deter pests like aphids, Japanese beetles, and rabbits. However peas, pole beans, bush beans, and asparagus don't grow well when planted near onions.

Are scallions just onion tops?

Greens onions are also known as spring onions, scallions, or salad onions. Green onions are actually baby, immature onions that are picked before they fully grow. The bulb is younger and is cut while the tops are still green. They have tiny white or pale-green bulbs at the end of long green tops.

Do spring onions turn into onions?

Spring onions in the Autumn are in the august of their lives. Sometimes they are immature bulb onions; sometimes they are cultivars that do not form bulbs. The ones that don't form bulbs are often called "bunching onions" by seed or nursery dealers.

Do scallions turn into onions?

Whether you call them bunching onions, green onions or spring onions, scallions are immature onions that are harvested before the bulb forms. They can be grown from hybrid or standard onion varieties or from bunching varieties, which may or may not develop a small bulb.

Can you eat the green tops of onions?

If you find an onion with the long greens still attached (mostly in spring), don't throw those greens away! They have a lovely mild onion flavor and you can use them just as you would use a scallion. Chop them up and mix them with Neufchâtel cream cheese to spread on a cracker or add them to fresh salsa.

Why are green onions called chives?

What are garlic chives? Garlic and onions are both part of the allium family and so are the chives that grow from their namesakes. Most people think of onion chives when they refer simply to “chives” because this variety is the most common. It has a mild onion-y flavor.

Can I use green onions instead of scallions?

A green onion is a new onion harvested while its top is still green and its bulb small. A scallion is younger than a green onion, and its white base (the part that would develop into a bulb) has straighter sides. ... Although true scallions are a bit milder than green onions, the two can be used interchangeably in recipes.

How long can you regrow green onions?

The green onion bulbs should regrow their stalks in about a week. And as long as you leave the bulbs planted and water them regularly, they'll continue to regrow more onions. Expect to get three to four harvests from your bulbs before you need to plant new ones.