Herbs of the Field: Chives
Chives are a bulbous, perennial herb with purple, star-shaped flowers. Chives have been cultivated since the middle ages and used as culinary, medicinal, and ornamental purposes. Chives thrive in the wild, they are found in meadows, roadsides and disturbed areas, sometimes near rivers.
Identification: Chives resemble other plants such as leeks and spring onions, sometimes garlic chives, which is a different plant. The leaves are semi-bulbous, growing directly underground the bulb. The leaves are green tubular and linear, hollow, wedge-shaped tube that tapers at the edge. Chives grow about 7 to 20 inches in length. The flowers are purple or lavender in color. The blooms appear in spring or summer and are edible. Each flower is about an inch in size made of petals or rays arranged in a star shape. The seeds are found in a three- chamber capsule. The capsule will dry and release its seeds thus allowing chives to freely reproduce. The underground bulbs grow shallow, from 3 inches to 12 inches deep.
Harvesting: snip the leaves just above the soil line once they reach 3 to 4 inches in length. Cutting off
Usage: Chives are a great source of vitamins and nutrients. It is known for its benefits in helping digestive disorders, things such as easing stomach indigestion. Chives have antibacterial properties which help to remove harmful bacteria in the stomach and intestines, which leads to gastrointestinal issues. Chives have been used to expel parasitic worms. In addition, chives have antioxidant properties which help to remove free radicals that detoxify the body systems. Chives flush toxins, excess fats, salts, and water which in turn aids in correcting the organs functions. Allicin is the organic compound found in chives as well as garlic, onions, leeks, scallions, and shallots. Each of the allicin vegetables have B vitamins, vitamin C, folate, manganese, potassium, and selenium. Allicin helps to battle cholesterol thus improving cardiovascular system, like lowering blood pressure, reduce plaque buildup in arteries, which in turn reduces chances of stroke and heart attacks. The vitamin C in chives helps to boost the immune response by building white blood cells which also improves skin health. The folic acid helps baby’s growth in pregnant mothers. Overall, chives can also help with the following health issues: macular degeneration, atherosclerosis, osteoporosis, memory function, certain types of cancer, and colds/flu.
Cautions: eating too many could upset your stomach. Topical application may cause allergic skin irritations.