Catawissa Tree Onion - Illustration

Egyptian Onion

There are many references to tree onions dating back to the 1700s and possibly earlier but very few illustrations. This example is probably one of the best illustrations of the full adult tree onion plant and top sets

"Catawissa" Onion - The Classic Red Tree Onion

One of the best known and most prolific `varieties` of tree onion is the "Catawissa". Its use can be traced back to the nursery catalogues of the 1850s and is named after Catawissa,Pennsylvania. The name was probably given as a marketing or "brand" name to differentiate it from similar, if not identical, red egyptian tree onions that were available from various seed and plant suppliers

Les Plantes Potagères - Vilmorin-Andrieux et Cie

The 1904 publication is the 3rd edition of the French book: "Les Plantes Potagères. Description et culture des principaux légumes des climats tempérés"; originally published in 1883

The book aims to show an extensive collection of contemporary vegetables that were available to gardeners. An English reprint is available as "The Vegetable Garden", 1981