SimplePlant

Amaryllidaceae

Chives

Allium schoenoprasum L.

Family
Amaryllidaceae
Genus
Allium

Pets and kids

  • CatsToxic
  • DogsToxic
  • KidsSafe
Why

Cats: Toxic

Toxic to cats (moderate). Toxic principle: N-propyl disulfide.

Signs: vomiting, hemolytic anemia, blood in urine, weakness, rapid heart rate.

Dogs: Toxic

Toxic to dogs (moderate). Toxic principle: N-propyl disulfide.

Signs: vomiting, hemolytic anemia, blood in urine, weakness, rapid heart rate.

Kids: Safe

Sources below say it is non-toxic to young children. Any plant can upset a stomach if a lot is eaten.

Chives (Allium schoenoprasum)
FlowerPhoto: Elias, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist

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Is Chives safe for cats, dogs and kids?

Is Chives safe for cats?

No. Our sources call Chives toxic to cats (moderate). Toxic principle: N-propyl disulfide. Signs: vomiting, hemolytic anemia, blood in urine, weakness, rapid heart rate.

Is Chives safe for dogs?

No. Our sources call Chives toxic to dogs (moderate). Toxic principle: N-propyl disulfide. Signs: vomiting, hemolytic anemia, blood in urine, weakness, rapid heart rate.

Is Chives safe for kids?

Our sources call Chives non-toxic to young children. Any plant can upset a stomach if a lot is eaten.

Ate some? Call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 (a fee may apply). For a child, call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 (US). If they are struggling to breathe or collapse, call 911. Don't give anything by mouth unless a vet or poison expert tells you to.

See all cat-safe plants, dog-safe plants and child-safe plants.

Similar names and close relatives

A shared name doesn't mean a shared answer: check the exact plant.

  • Onion Allium cepasame genusCats: Toxic; Dogs: Toxic; Kids: Safe
  • Garlic Allium sativumsame genusCats: Toxic; Dogs: Toxic; Kids: Mildly toxic
  • Ramsons Allium ursinumsame genusCats: Not sure; Dogs: Not sure; Kids: Not sure
  • Shallot Allium ascalonicumsame genusCats: Toxic; Dogs: Toxic; Kids: Not sure
  • Welsh onion Allium fistulosumsame genusCats: Not sure; Dogs: Not sure; Kids: Not sure

Common names

By language (81)
Afrikaans
Sprietui
Amharic
ቀጭን ሽንኩርት
ang
Secglēac
Arabic
ثوم معمر, اساتسوكه
arz
ثوم معمر
Asturian
Cebollín
azb
داغ سوغانی
Azerbaijani
Mala soğanı
Basque
Tipulin
Belarusian
Цыбуля скарада, Трыбулька, Цыбуля рэзанец
bo
ཀེའུ།
Bosnian
Vlasac
Bulgarian
Сибирски лук
Cantonese
細香蔥
Catalan
Cibulet
Chinese
細香蔥, 蝦夷蔥, 北葱, 北葱（香葱）, 大蒜, 香葱, 西伯利亚葱, 西伯利亞蔥
Croatian
Vlasac
csb
Łëczk
Czech
Pažitka pobřežní
Danish
Purløg
dsb
Cybulinka
Dutch
Bieslook, Czosnek syberyjski
English
Chives, Wild chives, Cives, Spanish garlic
Esperanto
Ŝenoprazo
Estonian
Murulauk
Finnish
Ruohosipuli, Ruoholaukka, Kallioruoholaukka
French
Ciboulette
frr
Gäärslook
Galician
Ceboliño
German
Schnittlauch
Greek
Άλλιον το σχοινόπρασον
gv
Shoushan
Haitian Creole
Siv
Hebrew
שום העירית
hsb
Słódny kobołk
Hungarian
Metélőhagyma, Snidling
Icelandic
Graslaukur
Indonesian
Lokio, Bawang batak
Irish
Síobhas
Italian
Erba cipollina
Japanese
チャイブ, エゾネギ, セイヨウアサツキ, アサツキ
Javanese
Lokio
Kazakh
Шалғын жуа
Korean
차이브
Latvian
Maurloki
li
Bieslouk
Lithuanian
Laiškinis česnakas
Luxembourgish
Bratzel
Macedonian
Власец
Malagasy
Tongolo raviny
Malayalam
ചൈവ്സ്
nds
Bieslook
Norwegian Bokmål
Grasløk
Norwegian Nynorsk
Graslauk
Occitan
Ceboleta
pam
Chives
pcd
Chiboléte
Persian
پیاز کوهی
Polish
Czosnek szczypiorek, Szczypior, Szczypiorek, Czosnek syberyjski
Portuguese
Cebolinha, Cebolinha verde
Romanian
Arpagic
Russian
Лук скорода, Лук шнитт, Лук-резанец, Лук-сибулет, Шнитт-лук
sco
Chives
Serbian
Влашац
Slovak
Cesnak pažítkový
Slovenian
Drobnjak
Spanish
Ceboliño, Cebolla aromática, Cebolla china, Cebolla de hoja, Cebolleta, Cebollina, Cebollino, Cebollín
Sundanese
Bawang batak
Swedish
Gräslök
szl
Szńitloch
Tamil
இனப்பூண்டு
Thai
กุยช่ายฝรั่ง, หอมจีน
Turkish
Yaprak soğanı
udm
Кыр сугон
Ukrainian
Цибуля-різанець, Цибуля-трибулька ряснолиста
Urdu
ثوم معمر
vec
Ajo de bisi
Vietnamese
Hành tăm
Walloon
Brele
Welsh
Cenhinen syfi
wuu
北葱

Synonyms

  • Allium acutum Spreng.
  • Allium alpinum (DC.) Hegetschw.
  • Allium broteri Kunth
  • Allium buhseanum Regel
  • Allium carneum Schult. & Schult.f.
  • Allium coloratum Dulac
  • Allium foliosum Clairv. ex DC.
  • Allium glaucum DC.
  • Allium glaucum Ledeb.
  • Allium gredense Rivas Goday
  • Allium idzuense H.Hara
  • Allium lusitanicum F.Delaroche
  • Allium lusitanicum Link ex Regel
  • Allium montanum F.W.Schmidt ex Schult.f.
  • Allium montanum Schrank
  • Allium palustre Chaix
  • Allium palustre Salisb.
  • Allium palustre Pourr. ex Lag.
  • Allium punctulatum Schltdl.
  • Allium purpurescens Losa
  • Allium raddeanum Regel
  • Allium reflexum F.Dietr.
  • Allium riparium Opiz
  • Allium roseum Krock.
  • Allium schmitzii var. duriminium Cout.
  • Allium schoenoprasum f. albiflorum J.Rousseau
  • Allium schoenoprasum f. purpuratum Konta
  • Allium schoenoprasum subsp. alpinum (DC.) Nyman
  • Allium schoenoprasum subsp. gredense (Riv.Mateos) Rivas Mart., Fern.Gonz. & Sánchez Mata
  • Allium schoenoprasum subsp. latiorifolium (Pau) Rivas Mart., Fern.Gonz. & Sánchez Mata
  • Allium schoenoprasum subsp. orosiae J.M.Monts.
  • Allium schoenoprasum subsp. pumilum (Bunge) K.Richt.
  • Allium schoenoprasum subsp. riparium (Opiz) Celak.
  • Allium schoenoprasum subsp. schoenoprasum
  • Allium schoenoprasum subsp. sibiricum (L.) Syme
  • Allium schoenoprasum var. albidum Regel
  • Allium schoenoprasum var. alpinum DC.
  • Allium schoenoprasum var. alvarense Hyl.
  • Allium schoenoprasum var. brevispathum Regel
  • Allium schoenoprasum var. broteroi (Kunth) Nyman

and 28 more.

Flowers

In flower
May to August (from 1,047 flowering iNaturalist observations worldwide)

Characteristics

Growth habit
Forb/herb
Lifespan
Perennial
In the US and Canada
Alaska: introduced, Alaska: native, Canada: introduced, Canada: native, Lower 48 states: introduced, Lower 48 states: native

Photos

More in Allium

Sources: classification, synonyms from World Flora Online Plant List (2026-06, CC0 1.0); common names, popularity from Wikidata (2026-10-26, CC0 1.0); common names, US characteristics from USDA PLANTS Database (2025-05-29, CC0 1.0). About our plant data.