About
Allium cepa 'Perutile' is a perennial onion that forms clumps and does not produce flowers. Its foliage resembles that of chives or spring onions, and the small bulbs, similar to shallots, are suitable for use in salads or cooked dishes. This variety is straightforward to cultivate.
About the genus
Allium consists of bulbous herbaceous perennials characterized by a pronounced onion or garlic aroma. They feature linear, strap-like, or cylindrical leaves that arise from the base. The flowers, which can be star-shaped or bell-shaped, are arranged in an umbel atop a stem that lacks leaves.
Growing conditions
- Sunlight
- Full sun
- Soil type
- Chalk, Loam, Sand
- Soil pH
- Alkaline, Neutral
- Soil moisture
- Moist but well-drained
- Aspect
- South-facing, West-facing
- Exposure
- Exposed, Sheltered
- UK hardiness
- H5
Plant details
- Plant type
- Herbs - Culinary, Bulbs
- Habit
- Clump forming
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Height
- 0.1-0.5 metres
- Spread
- 0.1-0.5 metres
- Time to full height
- 1-2 years
- Fragrance
- Foliage, Fruit
Care notes
- Cultivation
- Grow in free-draining, fertile soil in full sun. Keep well watered in dry periods but stop watering when bulbs become swollen. See how to grow: onions for further advice
- Pruning
- Remove faded leaves
- Propagation
- Propagate by division (non-flowering so does not set seed)
- Pest resistance
- May be susceptible to onion fly, leek moth and narcissus eelworm
- Disease resistance
- May be susceptible to onion white rot, onion downy mildew, leek rust and onion neck rot