VegetableOnion
White Lisbon Onion
Spring Onion
White Lisbon stands as the earliest bunching onion you can grow, delivering silvery-white stalks that stretch 14 to 18 inches tall in just 40 to 60 days. This cold-hardy heirloom (Allium fistulosum) thrives across zones 2-9, making it remarkably adaptable from northern gardens to southern plots. The variety excels as a true scallion, producing tender stems perfect for fresh eating and stir-frying, with the resilience to handle both greenhouse cultivation and outdoor beds.
Photo © True Leaf Market(https://www.trueleafmarket.com/products/white-lisbon-onion)
Growing Conditions
USDA Zone
2-9
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
High
Soil
Well-drained, Fertile Loam; Tolerates Moderate Fertility
Preferred Temp55-75°F
Growth Stats
24 in
Height
PeriodAnnual
TypeBunching
Spacing
4-6 inches apart
Plant Profile
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
High
Zones
2-9
Size
24in H x ?in W
Growth
Annual
Care
Moderate
Hover over chart points for details
Highlights
This variety claims the title of earliest bunching onion, ready to harvest in as little as 40 days with deliciously tender stalks. The silvery-white flesh provides exceptional flavor for fresh eating and cooking applications. White Lisbon demonstrates remarkable versatility, thriving in containers, raised beds, greenhouses, and traditional garden plots while showing impressive tolerance to cold, heat, and drought conditions.
Common Uses
White Lisbon excels in multiple culinary applications, from fresh eating where its tender texture shines, to stir-frying where it adds mild onion flavor without overwhelming other ingredients. The variety proves excellent for canning and pickling projects, maintaining its structure and developing complex flavors through preservation processes.
Growing Timeline
First Bloom
N/a
First Harvest
Mid-spring
Last Harvest
Late Summer
Care Instructions
Start Indoors
Sow up to 10-12 seeds in a 4-6 inch pot for indoor starting. If tops reach over 5 inches before transplant time, trim them back to 3 inches to encourage strong root development.
Transplant Outdoors
When planting out, carefully separate the seedlings and place them in a shallow trench. Fill the trench around seedlings and water in thoroughly to establish good root contact with soil.
Direct Sow
Direct sow seeds in garden beds, planning for the 40-60 day maturity window depending on growing conditions and harvest preferences.
Harvesting
Harvest White Lisbon when stems reach pencil size or larger, typically occurring between 40 to 60 days from planting. Cut stalks at ground level and wash thoroughly, trimming roots before use or storage. The tender stalks can be harvested continuously throughout the growing season as they reach desired size.
Growing Calendar
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Companion Planting
Pests & Diseases
Ecology & Traits
Edible
Soil pH Range
6 – 7
Scientific Classification
Allium L.
Family
Liliaceae
Genus
Allium
History & Origin
“White Lisbon carries the heritage of an open-pollinated heirloom variety, passed down through generations of gardeners who valued its early maturity and reliable performance. As a cultivar of Allium fistulosum rather than the common bulbing onion, it represents the traditional bunching onions that have fed families across diverse climates and growing conditions for centuries.”