VegetableOnion
Evergreen White Nebuka Onion
Evergreen White Nebuka Onion is a cold-hardy bunching onion that defies the typical single-season lifespan of most onions. This perennial variety, classified as an heirloom and open-pollinated cultivar of Allium fistulosum, produces slender white bulbs and long green tops over 100 to 109 days to first harvest. Hardy from zones 2 through 9, it grows 14 to 24 inches tall and earns its 'evergreen' name by persisting through winter in many climates, making it a remarkable choice for gardeners seeking year-round harvests. Known also as a Welsh Onion or Long Green Onion, this variety blurs the line between utility and ornament, thriving equally well in garden beds, raised boxes, containers, and even greenhouse settings.
Photo © True Leaf Market
Growing Conditions
USDA Zone
2-9
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
Moderate
Soil
Well-drained, Fertile Loam; Tolerates Moderate Fertility
Growth Stats
24 in
Height
Spacing
2
Plant Profile
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
Moderate
Zones
2-9
Size
24in H x ?in W
Growth
—
Care
High
Hover over chart points for details
Highlights
The standout feature here is its perennial nature combined with genuine cold tolerance. Most onions are annuals you replant each season; Evergreen White Nebuka returns year after year, especially in zones 2 through 9, making it one of the few onion varieties that can anchor a permanent kitchen garden. It resists both Neck Rot and Pink Root Rot, two common nemeses of alliums, while thriving in spaces where many other onions falter. The slender, white bulbs and delicate green tops deliver both culinary value and unexpected aesthetic appeal, allowing this humble vegetable to serve double duty as an edging plant or border accent.
Common Uses
Evergreen White Nebuka shines fresh rather than cooked. Slice the tender white bulbs and mild green tops raw into salads, grain bowls, and Asian noodle dishes where their delicate onion bite won't overpower. They're excellent as a garnish for soups, particularly miso and clear broths, where their fresh color and mild flavor enhance rather than dominate. The white portions can be grilled or sautéed gently, while the green tops are best added at the very end of cooking to preserve their crisp texture and bright flavor. Home cooks also prize these for their ability to grow year-round in mild climates, offering fresh allium flavor when storage onions have faded.
Growing Timeline
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Care Instructions
Start Indoors
Start seeds indoors 8 to 10 weeks before your last spring frost. Sow seeds 1/4 inch deep in seed trays or cells, keeping soil temperature between 60 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit for best germination. Provide bright light once seedlings emerge. Transplant seedlings outdoors when they reach 3 to 4 inches tall and soil can be worked.
Transplant Outdoors
Harden off seedlings by gradually exposing them to outdoor conditions over 7 to 10 days. Transplant after the last frost date when soil is workable, spacing plants 2 inches apart in rows 15 inches apart. Water gently at transplanting and keep soil consistently moist for the first 2 to 3 weeks as roots establish.
Direct Sow
Direct sow seeds outdoors in early spring as soon as soil can be worked, or in late summer (8 to 10 weeks before first fall frost) for fall and winter harvests. Sow seeds thinly 1/4 inch deep and thin seedlings to 2 inches apart once they are 1 to 2 inches tall. Keep soil moist until seedlings are established.
Harvesting
Begin harvesting Evergreen White Nebuka approximately 100 to 109 days after planting once plants are established and bulbs have developed a visible white base. Harvest by pulling entire plants when needed for fresh eating, or adopt a more sustainable approach of cutting the outer green leaves while leaving the center intact to allow regrowth. The white bulbs are ready when they reach pencil thickness (roughly 1/4 to 1/2 inch diameter). In mild climates where these onions overwinter, continuous harvesting is possible throughout cooler months; in colder zones, harvest most of the crop before hard frost and allow a few plants to remain for spring regrowth.
Growing Calendar
Enter your ZIP code to see a personalized growing calendar for this plant.
Companion Planting
Pests & Diseases
Ecology & Traits
Edible
Scientific Classification
Allium fistulosum
Family
Amaryllidaceae
Genus
Allium
Native Status
L48 (I)AK (I)CAN (N)
History & Origin
“Bunching onions carry a storied past rooted in Asian horticulture, particularly Japan, where the Nebuka type has long been cultivated for its slender, delicate form. The lineage reflects centuries of selection for tender green tops and mild white bulbs suited to Japanese and Chinese cooking traditions. The 'Evergreen' designation speaks to its remarkable winter hardiness, a trait valued by gardeners in colder regions who sought onions that could survive freezing temperatures and return reliably each spring. As an heirloom, open-pollinated variety preserved through seed catalogs and home gardeners' hands across generations, Evergreen White Nebuka represents the collective effort to maintain diversity in the onion world at a time when commercial breeding has narrowed the options available to most growers.”