Bulbing Onion
Flat of Italy is a striking cipollini-type onion with brilliant red skin and a distinctly flattened shape that looks almost like a coin lying on the soil. This is a genuine Italian heirloom, documented in Vilmorin's seed catalogs as far back as 1885, and it remains one of the most elegant fresh-eating onions you can grow. It matures in 100, 120 days and reaches just 4, 6 inches tall, making it perfect for containers or intensive beds. What truly sets it apart is its dual personality: equally stunning raw in salads or when gently caramelized, where its gourmet character shines through.
Full Sun
Moderate
3-10
6in H x ?in W
Biennial
Moderate
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This heirloom cipollini variety combines old-world elegance with genuine culinary appeal. The deep red, impossibly flat bulbs are as beautiful as they are delicious, making them a showstopper on farmers market tables and dinner plates alike. It's an intermediate-day type that finishes early enough to fit comfortably into most growing seasons, and its compact mature height means even small-space gardeners can succeed. The fact that it's been grown continuously since the 1880s speaks to its reliability and flavor.
Flat of Italy onions shine in roles where their beauty and flavor both matter. Raw, they bring a sophisticated presence to salads and crudités platters, their vibrant red color and mild sweetness adding both visual and gustatory appeal. They're exceptional when grilled or roasted whole, where their natural sugars concentrate into a tender, buttery sweetness. Many cooks also favor them for pickling and preserves, where their flat shape takes on brine elegantly and their flavor develops complexity.
Start seeds indoors 6–8 weeks before your last spring frost. Sow seeds at 45–80°F in seed-starting mix, keeping soil consistently moist but not soggy. Seedlings will emerge in 7–14 days under proper conditions. Harden off transplants gradually over 7–10 days before moving them outside.
Transplant seedlings outdoors after the last frost date when soil can be worked and has warmed. Space plants 4–6 inches apart in rows or beds. Plant at the same depth they grew indoors, with the soil line just at the base of the seedling leaves.
You can direct sow seeds in the garden as soon as soil is workable in spring. Sow seeds ¼ inch deep in prepared beds and keep soil consistently moist until germination occurs in 7–14 days. Thin seedlings to 4–6 inches apart once they're large enough to handle.
Harvest Flat of Italy onions after 100, 120 days from planting when the foliage has begun to yellow and soften near the base. In traditional onion growing, you'll know they're ready when the tops fall over naturally; at this point, stop watering and allow them to cure in the soil for 7, 10 days of dry weather. Dig carefully to avoid bruising the beautiful red skin, then cure them in a warm, well-ventilated space (50, 65°F is ideal) for 2, 3 weeks, turning occasionally, until the outer layers are papery and completely dry. Store only unblemished bulbs.
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“Flat of Italy carries genuine European pedigree, this is a variety old enough to appear in Vilmorin's historic seed catalog of 1885, one of the most respected horticultural references of its era. The Vilmorin family of France were legendary seed collectors and breeders, and their documentation of this Italian cipollini speaks to its reputation even then. It survived into modern times as a specialty variety treasured by Italian growers and seed savers who recognized its culinary and aesthetic value. The fact that it's still being cultivated and offered through heirloom seed companies today is a testament to the gardeners and farmers who chose to keep it in circulation rather than let it disappear.”