To: JUDITH HEATWOLE
Subject: Oniony whatchamacallits
JH>owners of this property?
JH>1/3 of the garden area is filled with 3-4-ft-high onion-looking
JH>plants. Stalks are 2 1/2 to 3 inches in diameter. The bulb is only
JH>slightly larger than the stalk. The purply flowers on the top of
JH>the plants yielded clumps of bulblets which now are about the size
JH>of a shallot, and have 6-8 inches of green stem growing up from the
JH>bulblets. Healthy-looking!
  Other than mention of the flowers, they sound like treetop, Egyptian,
  or perching onions, a perennial multiplier. Mine do not flower. As the
  scape grows, tiny bulblets grow at the top, and in about a month, the
  stalks will fall over and then bulblets root where they land. They are
  the first green from my garden in spring, and that's when they taste
  best.
  OTOH, I have perennial garlic that flowers and seeds itself every
  year. It reminds me of chives, but is a lot bigger than chives.
JH>Heeellllp! What are these things? Are they edible? If so, which part?
JH>Are they tasty? And when to harvest?
  Are they onion-y or garlicky in odour? If so, they're probably safe to
  eat, and cut the tender young stalks for salads and stirfries as long
  as you have them. (Avoid the woody ones - the seed bearing ones.) If
  the flowers are small and numerous, stirfry some of them or add to
  salads. Yum.
                       ...Sandra...
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