VegetableOnion
Kyoto Kujo Negi Onion
Kyoto Kujo Negi is a Japanese bunching onion steeped in Kyoto's culinary tradition, prized as one of the region's kyo yasai (traditional vegetables). This non-bulbing green onion grows 14 to 20 inches tall with tender leaves that taper gracefully, shifting in color from white at the base to green at the tips. Hardy from zones 2 to 9 and reaching harvest in 80 to 89 days, it thrives in full sun across gardens, raised beds, and containers. Though technically perennial, gardeners typically grow it as an annual or biennial for the most tender, flavorful harvests.
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
20 in
Height
Spacing
2
Plant Profile
Sunlight
Full Sun
Water
Moderate
Zones
2-9
Size
20in H x ?in W
Growth
—
Care
High
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Highlights
The distinctive white-to-green color gradation and delicate leaf structure make Kyoto Kujo Negi visually striking even as it matures. Its Kyoto heritage carries weight in Japanese cuisine, where it represents centuries of careful regional cultivation. Compact spacing of just 2 inches between plants means you can harvest abundance from a small footprint, while its perennial nature gives flexibility to treat it as a long-lived crop or quick annual. The tender texture and mild flavor develop quickly, rewarding patient gardeners with harvestable greens in under three months.
Common Uses
Kyoto Kujo Negi excels as a fresh green onion or scallion, with both the white and tender green portions prized for eating. The mild flavor and delicate texture suit raw applications like salads and garnishes, while the leaves hold up beautifully to gentle cooking, braising, and grilling. In Japanese cuisine, it appears as a finishing touch on soups, noodle dishes, and grilled vegetables. The tender leaves also work well chopped fresh into rice bowls, scattered over steamed fish, or bundled and charred alongside other vegetables.
Growing Timeline
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Care Instructions
Direct Sow
Direct sow seeds in garden beds or containers in early spring once soil is workable, or in late summer for a fall harvest. Press seeds lightly into the soil surface or cover with a thin dusting of compost, as they need light to germinate reliably.
Harvesting
Kyoto Kujo Negi reaches harvestable size in 80 to 89 days from sowing. Begin harvesting when the tender green leaves reach 6 to 8 inches tall, cutting them just above soil level or harvesting outer leaves while allowing the center to continue growing. For the most tender texture and mild flavor, harvest in the morning after dew dries. You can pull entire plants or take outer leaves continuously throughout the season, extending your harvest window. The white portions are edible and mild once the plant reaches full size, making it a true dual-purpose green onion.
Growing Calendar
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Companion Planting
Ecology & Traits
Edible
Scientific Classification
Allium fistulosum
Family
Amaryllidaceae
Genus
Allium
Native Status
L48 (I)AK (I)CAN (N)
History & Origin
“Kyoto Kujo Negi emerges from Japan's deep tradition of vegetable cultivation in the Kyoto region. It belongs to the group known as kyo yasai, or Kyoto vegetables, which represent heirloom varieties selected and refined over generations by growers in and around Kyoto. These vegetables hold cultural and gastronomic significance within Japanese food traditions, passed down through families and farms. The variety's non-bulbing, bunching form reflects selective breeding choices made to maximize the tender leaf portions most valued in Japanese cooking. As an open-pollinated, non-GMO heirloom, it carries the genetic legacy of these careful selections forward to today's gardeners.”