Chives (Allium schoenoprasum)
Flowers: May to July. Height: Up to 38cm (15in).
Sometimes referred to as ‘rush leeks’, this flavourful herb, tasting like mild onion, has been around for at least 5,000 years and has been cultivated in England since the Middle Ages.
Medicinal: Chives were used to stimulate the appetite, promote digestion and improve blood circulation. Culpeper’s Complete Herbal (1653) advised against chives being eaten raw as “they send up very hurtful vapours to the brain, causing troublesome sleep and spoiling the eyesight.”
Culinary: A member of the onion family, it was used to flavour soups and eaten raw in salads with its flowers used as a garnish.
