An easily grown plant, it prefers a sunny position in a light well-drained soil. Succeeds in damp acid soils and in heavy clay. The bulbs should be planted fairly deeply. This species is closely related to the Welsh onion, A. fistulosum. Grows well with most plants, especially roses, carrots, beet and chamomile, but it inhibits the growth of legumes. This plant is a bad companion for alfalfa, each species negatively affecting the other. Cultivated for its edible bulb in Siberia, where it is used as a garlic substitute. Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer.

Bulb - raw or cooked. A garlic substitute. The bulbs are up to 2cm in diameter. Leaves - raw or cooked. Flowers - raw. Used as a garnish on salads.

Seed - sow spring in a cold frame. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle - if you want to produce clumps more quickly then put three plants in each pot. Grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter and plant them out into their permanent positions in spring once they are growing vigorously and are large enough. Division in spring. Very easy, the plants divide successfully at any time in the growing season and the divisions can be planted straight out into their permanent positions if required.

Meadows and wooded slopes.