Rare Perennial Onions - Group Purchase

I have something of a seed and germplasm bank growing here in Denmark, largely due to the seed swap network I've created over at BiodiverSeed.com.

I was glad to see that so many people here at Permies were interested in the free Paw Paw (Asimina triloba) seeds, so I thought I would post another project going on at the site right now.

I currently have around 10 species/cultivars of perennial onions growing here, and I would like to add 8 more species/cultivars. I currently have Egyptian Walking Onions, Bunching Onions, Wild Garlic, Babington's Leeks, Round-Headed Leeks (Drumstick Onion) and a number of Ornamental Alliums. I would like to add more Tree Onion cultivars, more wild onion/leek/garlic species, Rakkyo Onions, and Potato Onions.

I have set up a gofundme to purchase divisions of 8 additional perennial onion species from private sellers. As a "thank you," donors can choose from among the species/cultivars I already have, or the ones I purchase: a $5 donation = 1 species, and so on. I will send you a package with bulblets after I make the purchase.

DONATE HERE

I multiply the offsets, and send them out to permaculturists around the world regularly. I've sent Walking Onion bulblets to dozens of people in the seed swap network for the cost of postage in my first year of cultivating them. They are a great investment: I started out with 4 McCullar's Walking Onions, and including those I gave away, ended up with about 55 at the end of my first year. Hopefully some of you consider it: a $25 donation to the germplasm bank lets you get started with 5 diverse perennial onions this spring, and you are of course welcome to request more divisions down the road once I establish them!

biodiverseed@gmail.com / biodiverseed.com

I have some onions for you! They are of the walking or Egyptian type. I got then from a friend who was still growing them on the family farm that has been the family farm for generations. Goats love them and they are sweet and yummy in fried taters. And boy do they multiply with just a little effort.

Jennifer Smith wrote:I have some onions for you! They are of the walking or Egyptian type. I got then from a friend who was still growing them on the family farm that has been the family farm for generations. Goats love them and they are sweet and yummy in fried taters. And boy do they multiply with just a little effort.

I would love to add them! Any info you have on them would be much appreciated (name/history/cultivar/landrace etc.) I try to do my best to document the histories and botanical data on any plants I am banking.



Here is the information I have on the Catawissa Walking Onion, for example:

cv. ‘Catawissa’: “A Catawissa, Pennsylvania, nurseryman by the name of F. F. Merceron (little is known about this individual) engaged in improving the tree onion for commercial purposes. His strains are somewhat different from the others because they send up topsets from topsets, creating the image of plants growing out of plants. He developed three distinct strains of tree onions, a red variety (which I have), a white, and a yellow. Alexander Watson mentioned these strains in passing in his American Home Garden (1859, 159), noting that by then the onions were already being sent in large quantities to northern markets from Bermuda and the South.” Read More

I would be happy to swap if you are interested in anything I am growing. I have some Babington's Leeks, which might be right up your alley if you like the Walking Onions!

Email me at biodiverseed@gmail.com and we can swap