Food Forest Plants
Food Forest Plants
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$7.95
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Perennial Onion for Greens & Self-Propagating Top Bulbs, easy and ideal for the busy gardener!
The Egyptian Walking Onion is a hardy perennial onion grown not for large underground bulbs, but for its edible green shoots and distinctive top-forming bulbs (topsets). These top bulbs bend the stalk to the ground as they mature, allowing the plant to “walk” and slowly spread on its own.
Egyptian walking onions are happy from the Subtropics through to Cold Temperate climates. They are a this onion is a reliable, low-maintenance alternative to annual onions, offering year-round harvests with very little effort.
Much easier than normal onions – no sowing every year
Perennial and long-lived, great on the margins of your food forest
Harvestable almost year-round for greens
Produces its own planting material (top bulbs)
Ideal for home gardens and kitchen gardens
Very hardy and forgiving of variable weather
This is an excellent onion for gardeners who want reliability rather than size.
Green tops: Use like spring onions, chives, or shallots
Top bulbs: Edible raw or cooked, with a strong onion flavour
Small underground bulbs: Edible but usually minor; not the focus of this plant
This variety is not grown for large onion bulbs like brown or red onions.
Top bulbs form above ground on stalks, usually in spring to early summer
As they mature, the stalk bends and plants them nearby
These bulbs root easily and create new plants
No regular lifting is required
Plants can be left in place for years
If clumps become crowded, you can lift and divide every few years, but it’s optional
Space plants 25–30 cm apart
Allows good air flow and encourages stronger topset formation
You can harvest greens — just don’t overdo it.
Safe harvesting:
Take outer leaves only
Harvest lightly through autumn and winter
Avoid:
Cutting the plant right down
Heavy harvesting in late winter and spring, when topsets are forming
If you want good top bulbs, let the plant grow freely from late winter onwards.
Full sun to light shade
Winter sun is especially important in coastal areas
Well-drained soil is essential
Grows well in average garden soil
Avoid waterlogging
Light feeder
Benefits from:
Compost
Well-aged manure (sparingly)
Balanced organic fertiliser
Avoid excessive nitrogen — too much leaf growth can reduce topsets.
Moderate water
Drought tolerant once established
Regular watering improves leaf quality
Light mulch is beneficial
Keep mulch away from the base to prevent rot
Egyptian Walking Onion is not ideal for deep food forest interiors, as it prefers:
Sun
Good airflow
It works best:
On edges and margins
Along paths
In kitchen gardens
As a border plant
Think of it as a perennial vegetable bed plant, not a forest understory species.
Well suited to Tea Gardens, Port Stephens, and coastal NSW, subtropical climates and cool climate areas.
Handles mild winters well
Top bulb formation may be slightly variable in warm coastal climates but is still achievable
Excellent performer in warm temperate regions
Egyptian Walking Onion rarely produces viable seed
Most plants are sterile hybrids
Propagation is done almost entirely via top bulbs or division
Seeds, when present, are:
Rare
Unreliable
Not worth depending on
The Egyptian Walking Onion is a tough, dependable perennial onion that rewards gardeners with greens, top bulbs, and self-propagation, without the fuss of growing annual onions. Perfect for Australian home gardens, especially where reliability and ease matter more than bulb size.
Disclaimer:
We love plants as much as you do! All plants sold by Food Forest Plants are intended for ornamental, educational, or gardening purposes. Some may have traditional culinary or medicinal uses, but we cannot give medical advice—please consult a qualified professional before consuming or using any plant. We take great care in labelling, but mistakes can happen. Food Forest Plants is not responsible for any illness, injury, or other effects from using, handling, or consuming plants. Use at your own risk.
Perennial Onion for Greens & Self-Propagating Top Bulbs, easy and ideal for the busy gardener!
The Egyptian Walking Onion is a hardy perennial onion grown not for large underground bulbs, but for its edible green shoots and distinctive top-forming bulbs (topsets). These top bulbs bend the stalk to the ground as they mature, allowing the plant to “walk” and slowly spread on its own.
Egyptian walking onions are happy from the Subtropics through to Cold Temperate climates. They are a this onion is a reliable, low-maintenance alternative to annual onions, offering year-round harvests with very little effort.
Much easier than normal onions – no sowing every year
Perennial and long-lived, great on the margins of your food forest
Harvestable almost year-round for greens
Produces its own planting material (top bulbs)
Ideal for home gardens and kitchen gardens
Very hardy and forgiving of variable weather
This is an excellent onion for gardeners who want reliability rather than size.
Green tops: Use like spring onions, chives, or shallots
Top bulbs: Edible raw or cooked, with a strong onion flavour
Small underground bulbs: Edible but usually minor; not the focus of this plant
This variety is not grown for large onion bulbs like brown or red onions.
Top bulbs form above ground on stalks, usually in spring to early summer
As they mature, the stalk bends and plants them nearby
These bulbs root easily and create new plants
No regular lifting is required
Plants can be left in place for years
If clumps become crowded, you can lift and divide every few years, but it’s optional
Space plants 25–30 cm apart
Allows good air flow and encourages stronger topset formation
You can harvest greens — just don’t overdo it.
Safe harvesting:
Take outer leaves only
Harvest lightly through autumn and winter
Avoid:
Cutting the plant right down
Heavy harvesting in late winter and spring, when topsets are forming
If you want good top bulbs, let the plant grow freely from late winter onwards.
Full sun to light shade
Winter sun is especially important in coastal areas
Well-drained soil is essential
Grows well in average garden soil
Avoid waterlogging
Light feeder
Benefits from:
Compost
Well-aged manure (sparingly)
Balanced organic fertiliser
Avoid excessive nitrogen — too much leaf growth can reduce topsets.
Moderate water
Drought tolerant once established
Regular watering improves leaf quality
Light mulch is beneficial
Keep mulch away from the base to prevent rot
Egyptian Walking Onion is not ideal for deep food forest interiors, as it prefers:
Sun
Good airflow
It works best:
On edges and margins
Along paths
In kitchen gardens
As a border plant
Think of it as a perennial vegetable bed plant, not a forest understory species.
Well suited to Tea Gardens, Port Stephens, and coastal NSW, subtropical climates and cool climate areas.
Handles mild winters well
Top bulb formation may be slightly variable in warm coastal climates but is still achievable
Excellent performer in warm temperate regions
Egyptian Walking Onion rarely produces viable seed
Most plants are sterile hybrids
Propagation is done almost entirely via top bulbs or division
Seeds, when present, are:
Rare
Unreliable
Not worth depending on
The Egyptian Walking Onion is a tough, dependable perennial onion that rewards gardeners with greens, top bulbs, and self-propagation, without the fuss of growing annual onions. Perfect for Australian home gardens, especially where reliability and ease matter more than bulb size.
Disclaimer:
We love plants as much as you do! All plants sold by Food Forest Plants are intended for ornamental, educational, or gardening purposes. Some may have traditional culinary or medicinal uses, but we cannot give medical advice—please consult a qualified professional before consuming or using any plant. We take great care in labelling, but mistakes can happen. Food Forest Plants is not responsible for any illness, injury, or other effects from using, handling, or consuming plants. Use at your own risk.