Allium x proliferum

Egyptian walking onion is a hybrid, herbaceous, perennial in the amaryllis family (Amaryllidaceae) and is a cross of A. fistulosum and A. cepa. The hybrid name proliferum means "having bunching growth or offsets" and refers to the abundant bulbils produced by this plant.

The Egyptian walking onion can be grown in full sun in moist, fertile, well-drained sandy loams but tolerates other soils if well-drained. Propagation is by division or planting bulbils. It is rabbit- and deer-resistant and can be a problem for dogs.

The bulbs look similar to shallots and can be used as such but are spicier. In spring, clumps of hollow leaves grow from the bulb up to 3 feet tall and are followed by hollow stems called topsets. It forms a small cluster of bulbils at the top that mature and bend the stem over to the ground where they root to form new clumps. Small white flowers are occasionally to rarely formed and don't produce viable seed. All parts of the plant are edible.

Use this plant in the edible garden or as a curiosity garden plant.

Insects, Diseases, and Other Problems:  Diseases include botrytis, purple blotch, downy mildew, neck rot, soft rot, onion smut and viruses such as onion yellow dwarf and iris yellow spot. Common pests include onion thrips, allium leaf miner and onion fly (also known as onion maggot). Rot is more likely in poorly drained, overly moist soils.