Introduction
Spring onions (Allium fistulosum) are characterised by slightly enlarged bulbs, with straight, hollow leaves and a distinct white 'stem' consisting of a collection of leaf bases. The type grown in Australia does not produce offshoots. The 'stem' is the main edible part of the plant.
Spring onions are different from shallots (Allium cepa, aggregatum group) and the bulb onion (Allium cepa, cepa group). However, some varieties of bulb onion are sold as spring onions if harvested when the bulb is immature and the leaves are intact.
The crop is grown on the Swan Coastal Plain for the domestic market.