Onions Allium

Idaho Firewise gives nodding onion (Allium cernuum) and Geyer's onion (Allium geyeri) scores of 10 on its fire-resistance scale. In that southern Idaho guide, 10 corresponds to a suggested minimum distance of 10 feet from the home. The number combines a plant choice with a placement recommendation; it is not a percentage of protection.

The Pacific Northwest extension guide also includes nodding onion and chives (Allium schoenoprasum) among its fire-resistant plants. Its guidance calls for keeping plants healthy through appropriate watering and pruning. For perennials, that includes clearing autumn dieback and leaving gaps between planting clusters. Chives have an additional care instruction: remove faded flowers to limit their spread.

These are named Allium choices with different garden habits. Nodding onion spreads through seeds and bulblets and needs well-drained soil; chives are a culinary herb with grasslike leaves. The favorable fire recommendations accompany those living, maintained plants and the space around them.