Egyptian Walking Onions are a perennial onion that produces small bulbs (called “bulbils”) at the top of the plants in late spring and early summer. These got their name from the way they’ll “walk” along your garden and reproduce year after year. Egyptian Walking Onions are a great way to have a continual source of green onion tops in your garden, and the bulbs can be eaten too!
Egyptian Walking Onions are widely-adapted and can be grown in zones 3-10. They are especially cold-hardy and perform best when planted in the fall months. Even if the tops are damaged by heavy snowfall, they’ll sprout again in the late winter and early spring months.
Planting Egyptian Walking Onions
Plant Egyptian Walking Onions in the fall, regardless of your growing zone. Place the bulbs 4-6″ apart in your in-ground garden, raised beds, or containers. They’ll quickly sprout and start producing green tops. Consider using straw as a mulch around the sprouts to preserve moisture and minimize weed growth.
Growing Egyptian Walking Onions
Much like traditional bulbing onions, Egyptian Walking Onions will benefit from adequate water and fertile soil. Feed them well and you’ll be rewarded with bountiful green onion tops and lots of little onion bulbs. Besides keeping them happy with water and nutrients, they’re pretty maintenance-free.
They can be divided and propagated at the base of the plant or via the bulbs that form on top of the green onions. Harvest the small bulbs in the early summer months and replant or share with friends and family. You can also let small onion bulbs fall onto the ground and reproduce as they “walk” along your garden area.
Much like our Louisiana Evergreen Shallots, Egyptian Walking Onions will multiply at the base of the plant as they grow. The individual plants may be pulled and divided to increase your planting area. They’ll also form small bulbs at the base of the soil that can be harvested for eating.
