Onion Grass Vs. Scallions

Onion Grass Description

• Onion grass is a perennial with a brown, rounded underground corm. A corm, also called a bulbo-tuber, is a swollen plant stem that stores plant nutrients for winter use. Romulea rosea has grasslike leaves that are 1/4 to 3/4 inch wide and 2 to 14 inches long. Whorls of sepals and petals form pink, violet or lilac flowers in the shape of a tube.

Onion Grass Origin

• Onion grass, native to South Africa, is also called rosy sandcrocus and Guildford grass. Onion grass yields attractive flowers and was introduced into northern California as an ornamental plant. It was later imported to California from Australia as a contaminant in subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum). It is found widely in Tasmania.

Scallion Description

• Scallions, introduced to the West from Asia and sometimes called green onions, are slender and straight. Scallions have hollow, tubelike leaves. Clumps of scallions up to 1 foot wide can grow up to 2 feet tall. Scallions do have bulbs, but they do not bulge outward. Sterile hybrid varieties of scallions have purple skins, short, thick stocks or larger bulbs. Scallions are often confused with spring onions. A spring onion is an immature onion (Allium cepa var. cepa) or shallot (A. cepa var. aggregatum) with a small bulb.

Use and Cultivation

• Australians and Australian aboriginals, especially those living in Tasmania, eat onion grass as a form of bush tuck, or wild food. Onion grass, considered an invasive species, is sometimes cultivated as an ornamental. Eat raw scallions with a dip as an appetizer and or as an ingredient in a salad. Substitute them for leeks (A. ampeloprasum) or chives (A. schoenoprasum). Scallions are perennial in U.S. Department of Agriculture zones 6 through 9 and annual in colder climates. They are easy to grow, and you can start them from seeds. They like full sun but you can grow them in partial shade. Although they can tolerate drought, you should water them regularly. Once you establish scallions, divide the clumps to grow more plants. If you want more of the lower stem to be white, plant them deeply.