Air Onions - Tree Onion Seeds, Bulbs and Plants

Unique, Seed Producing Tree Onion

Originating in Finland where the harsh climate forced them to use every trick Nature has to offer in order to survive.

Tree Onion Flowers — Regular Flower Heads Appeared on 3 "Sister" bulbs Summer 2019 - Hopefully they will produce hybrid seeds. The last time this happened was 2017

Tree Onion Bulbils - Egyptian Onions — Typical Tree Onion/Egyptian Onion Bulbils and Florets - June 2019

Multiplying Onion

Just like a shallot or potato onion; the mature bulbs increase by dividing and are capable of producing 2 or more onion bulbs below ground every season

Finnish Air Onion - Tree Onion Multiplying — Tree Onion "Multiplying"
Part of the original stem can be seen in the foreground. The original single bulb has multiplied into 3 onions

Produce Top Sets or Air Onions
The flower head has become specially adapted and produces clones of the parent plant in order to maximise its survival potential. Mini bulbs or bulbils form at the top of the flower stem and will grow into walking onions that are genetically identical to the parent plant

Finnish Air Onion - Tree Onion Flower Heads — The Flower head on the left is "reverting" and likely to produce viable tree onion seeds while the head on the right is typical of a top-setting onion head and will produce "clones" of the parent plant

Fertile Tree Onion Flowers

Set Viable Seed
As far as I know; this is a unique trait among walking onion varieties. This particular walking onion can produce fertile seeds that ensure genetic diversity and remain dormant in the soil until conditions are favourable. They can germinate in as little as 4 days and provide the opportunity to develop new varieties of tree onion

Finnish Air Onion Bulbils - K.Davis — Air Onion Bulbils

Walking Onion Flowers - With Fertile Seed

The small flowers are typical of onion/allium species but only a few are produced as most of the plant`s energy goes to produce the bulbils you see in the picture

Finnish Air Onion Bulbils and Flowers - K.Davis — Air Onion Bulbils and A Few Flowers

Walking Onion Seeds

The small black seeds look just like those from most onion varieties. Where a typical onion head produces masses of flower spikes; the walking onion usually has just a few flowers. Compare that to the flower head in the foreground of the top picture

Finnish Air Onion Seeds — Air Onion Seeds
The scale at the bottom edge is divided into 0.5mm

Walking Onion Seedlings

The newly emerged air onion seedlings are just a few millimetres in length and the 2 seedlings in the picture below help show the emerging root tip from the seed on the right and the first green growth on the left

Finnish Air Onion Seedlings - 1 Day Old — Air Onion Seedlings
Day 5 - 24 hours after germination

Air Onion Seedlings - 1 Week Old — Air Onion Seedlings
1 week after germination

Air Onion Seedlings - 3 Weeks Old — Air Onion Plants
3 weeks after germination (2 Nov 2016)
Approx 40% Germinated

Walking Onion Seeds - Germination Rate

3-4 weeks after planting about 50 seeds I got 20 healthy plants giving a germination rate of about 40%. I`ll update this figure if any more seeds push through

Order Instructions

If you would like to order some of this season`s air onion bulbils to grow your own; simply drop us a line for current availability and pricing.