Altai onion
Allium altaicum
Wild parent of the Welsh onion; a perennial bunching onion that shrugs off -40°.
Hardiness: zones 2 to 7
Light: full sun
Size: about 2 ft tall, 1 ft wide
Harvest: April to June
From: Altai and Mongolia
Drought-hardy once established
Here: Hardy in the Lake Erie shore climate (zone 6b to 7a), so it can live outdoors in the ground.
Good for: food, pollinators.
Native to: Central Asian steppe. Hardy in zones 2 to 7.
The story
Altai onion grows wild in the mountains of Mongolia and Siberia, where nomadic herders have gathered it for thousands of years as their main green; it is the ancestor of the Welsh onion and survives on frozen scree.
Planting
Full sun, gritty drained soil; very hardy. Plant divisions or seed in spring; it clumps and lasts decades.
Growing
Water in dry spells only; it dislikes rich wet ground. Divide every few years.
Harvest and use
Cut hollow leaves from early spring, among the first greens of the year; the bulbs are eaten too, and the flowers.
What to watch for
Wet soil; nothing else.
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More perennial vegetables, greens and herbs
General guidance, not professional advice. Conditions vary by yard and year; for local specifics ask your county extension office. Never eat a wild plant you cannot identify with certainty. Traditional uses are shared as history, not medical advice. © 2026 Sean Priest · Irie Orchard. Terms & credits · Privacy · Home