Cipollini
This charming Italian heirloom transforms the traditional onion into something wonderfully unexpected, trading the familiar globe shape for a distinctively flattened, button-like form that grows up to four inches wide but often less than an inch thick. Borettana Cipollini onions shine beneath their satiny golden skin with exceptionally sweet, fine-grained flesh that caramelizes beautifully when exposed to heat. Hardy in zones 4-4 and reaching maturity in 105 days, these delightful onions grow 14-24 inches tall in full sun to partial shade, rewarding gardeners with both culinary excellence and braiding-worthy storage potential.
Full Sun
Moderate
4-4
24in H x 6in W
Annual
Moderate
Hover over chart points for details
The Borettana Cipollini's most captivating feature lies in its unique flattened, button-like shape that makes it instantly recognizable and perfectly suited for threading onto kebabs or nestling into roasts. Its exceptionally high sugar content creates a rich, complex sweetness that surpasses typical storage onions, making every dish more flavorful. The variety's traditional braiding potential adds practical beauty to the kitchen, allowing gardeners to create stunning garlands that preserve these golden treasures well into winter months.
These golden beauties excel in any cooking method involving heat, particularly roasting where they develop a rich caramelized exterior while maintaining tender sweetness within. Their convenient flattened shape makes them ideal for shish kebabs, while their complex flavor adds incredible depth to braised dishes, soups, and stir-fries. The cured bulbs with their sturdy tops create beautiful braided storage garlands that bring both function and rustic charm to the kitchen.
Start seeds indoors 12 weeks before the last frost date, giving these slow-growing onions ample time to develop strong transplants for spring planting.
Transplant seedlings outdoors once they reach 3-4 inches tall and soil can be worked, ensuring they're established before the growing season fully begins.
Direct sow as soon as soil can be worked in spring, taking advantage of cool soil conditions that onions prefer for germination.
Harvest when the tops begin to yellow and fall over naturally after 105 days, indicating the bulbs have reached full maturity and the sugars have concentrated for optimal flavor and storage potential.
Enter your ZIP code to see a personalized growing calendar for this plant.
“The Borettana Cipollini carries forward centuries of Italian culinary tradition, representing the distinctive flat onion varieties that have graced Mediterranean gardens and kitchens for generations. This heirloom variety embodies the Italian approach to onion cultivation, where form follows function and exceptional flavor takes precedence over standardized appearance.”