(Bunching Onion)

Fresh grown onions just taste better. These popular vegetables come in many shapes and colors and are quite easy to grow if you have good, friable soil and lots of sun.

The onion is a perennial that’s grown as an annual root vegetable. Unknown in the wild, Allium cepa may descend from several species found across Central Asian to include Allium oschaninii, Allium praemixtum, Allium vavilovii, Allium pskemense,...

(Scallion, Shallot)

Onions in the Aggregatum Group produce numerous small bulbs rather than a single large bulb. Like other varieties of garden onion (known collectively as Allium cepa), they are biennials that originated in Central Asia but that are unknown in the wild.

The pale- to mid-green, hollow, awl-shaped leaves of these onions arise from clusters of small papery-coated bulbs. Some varieties produce globular heads of greenish-white flowers on upright stems in the summer of their second year. Hot...

(Dutch Ornamental Onion)

Dutch ornamental onion sprouts a softball-sized globe of purplish pink, star-shaped flowers in the summer. The flower stalk rises several feet as the large, strappy leaves die back. This species is a natural hybrid variant of Allium aflatunense, which is native to central Asia. Alliums are in the onion family and thus release the familiar pungent fragrance when their leaves or stems are crushed. It thrives in well-drained, even sandy, neutral soil in full sun.

Plant this bulb in the...

(Drumstick Onion, Round-headed Garlic)

The drumstick onion, a bulbous perennial, is grown for its dense, egg-shaped clusters of small, greenish-pink to dark-red flowers, which bloom in the summer on tall flower stalks that emerge from a basal clump of long, linear green leaves. When crushed, the leaves and stems have the familiar, pungent fragrance of the onion family. The drumstick onion is native to Europe, Africa, and Asia, where it grows in full sun and well-drained, often sandy soil.

In the fall, plant this bulb a hand’s width...

(Alocasia, Elephant Ear)

Alocasia is a genus of about 70 huge-leaved species of tropical plants native to the warm, moist areas of southern Asia. They are usually perennial evergreens and have large rhizomes (underground lateral stems) or bulbs. The leaves are roughly oval with lobes at the base. Some are arrow-shaped and all have the petiole (leaf stem) attached inside the leaf edge. Large, prominent, variously colored veins often decorate the leaves. The leaves top long, variously-hued petioles which grow directly...

(Alocasia, Elephant Ear)

Beautiful dark leaves are the shining glory of Alocasia ‘Black Velvet.’ This smaller tropical elephant ear is adapted to the warm, moist areas of southern Asia. Some list this selection as a cultivar of Alocasia reginula but the parentage of this Borneo discovery is still unclear.

Evergreen in the tropics, 'Black Velvet' is a dwarf Alocasia, which grows via rhizomes (underground lateral stems) that branch to form large clumps. The leaves are roundly heart-shaped, dark greenish...

(Alocasia, Blue Lady Taro, Elephant Ear)

Alocasia is a genus of about 70 huge-leaved species of tropical plants native to the warm, moist areas of southern Asia. They are usually perennial evergreens and have large rhizomes (underground lateral stems) or bulbs. The leaves are roughly oval with lobes at the base. Some are arrow-shaped and all have the petiole (leaf stem) attached inside the leaf edge. Large, prominent, variously colored veins often decorate the leaves. The leaves top long, variously-hued petioles which grow directly...

(Alocasia, Elephant Ear, Green Shield Taro)

Grown for its beautiful, bright green, heart-shaped leaves with dark venation, 'Green Shield' is a vigorous elephant ear ideal for large garden spaces. First introduced in the Philippines, its thick leaves are quite leathery and can stand up to heavy rains better than many Alocasia with thinner leaves. This cultivar is likely the species, Alocasia clypeolata.

When weather is favorable, 'Green Shield' will flower sporadically throughout the year. Its Anthurium-like flowers...

(Alocasia, Elephant Ear, Hilo Beauty Taro)

The mottled leaves of this stunning Alocasia are unlike any other. Each huge, heart-shaped leaf is rich green with beautiful, irregular, greenish yellow blotches and gentle wavy edges. During the growing season, 'Hilo Beauty' produces spathe and spadex flowers, but these are not particularly showy and overshadowed by glowing foliage of this tropical gem. The parentage of this cultivar is unknown.

Ornamental taro is best grown in partial sun to partial shade with protection from scorching...

(Elephant Ear, Portodora Elephant Ear)

The eye-catching, upward facing leaves of 'Portodora' are rich green, spade-shaped and have wavy edges. This hybrid seedling resulting from the cross between Alocasia odora and Alocasia portei makes a superb architectural component to the shade border. During the growing season, spathe flowers appear but are generally overshadowed by this hybrid's majestic and imposing foliage. Stems are thick, fleshy and seemingly muscular as they hold the massive wavy-edged leaves.

The Portodora...