Types Image Description
Common Chives Common chives are the most readily available when you buy them from the store. Common chives grow in clumps of small, slender bulbs that produce very thin, blue-green leaves, ranging in height from 10-15 inches. Their edible, flavorful flowers can be found in white, pink, purple, or red, depending on variety.

These chives, which have a mild, slightly onion-y flavor, are best used fresh. Often used as a garnish, particularly in French cuisine, and are an ingredient used in fines herbs (a mix of chives, tarragon, chervil, and parsley). Chives should only be cooked briefly and served immediately after cooking due to their delicacy, otherwise the flavor will be lost; this is why they're most often used as a garnish.
Garlic Chives Also known as "Chinese" chives, garlic chives typically grow taller than common chives and have flatter leaves and white blossoms. They have a potent garlic flavor and unlike common onion chives, the stems are not hollow. They can be used just like common chives and provide even more savory flavor when used as a garnish.
Siberian Chives Sometimes referred to as blue chives due to their blue-green foliage, Siberian chives are another Asian species native to central and Northeastern Asian counties including Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, and China. Siberian chives grow up to two feet tall, making them significantly larger than common or garlic chives.