19 Appealing Onion Varieties To Know and Grow
Onions are among the most favorite vegetables for Americans. Growing the aromatic Allium crop is crucial to feed the demand. But which onions are a good fit for your farm? Scan the photo gallery for fresh choices from leading seed breeders and distributors.
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Adhora (BASF/Nunhems)
‘Adhora’, a standout yellow onion designed for Vidalia, Georgia and Texas. It is characterized by its’ early maturity, excellent yield potential and distinctive sweet flavor. This short day type has a reliable Granex shape and market quality, making it a top choice for growers, looking for competitive advantage. Matures in 160 days.
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Caliber (Crookham Company)
‘Caliber’ is a late season, yellow-long-day for the western United States, is known for vigor, disease resistance, yield, and storage capabilities. It has a very high single center rate and the bulb is known to have one extra ring (in comparison to other items in the market). ‘Caliber’ has a consistent rich bronze color and does well, with a mechanical harvest. Region: Northwest. Matures in 120 days.
Disease package: Very HR: Foc, PR
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Comrade (Clifton Seed Company)
‘Comrade’ features a vibrant purple hue, a slender neck, and produces perfectly round bulbs. This long day variety boasts excellent yield and storage capabilities, making it ideal for mechanical harvesting. Matures in 105 days.
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Green Banner (Seminis Vegetable Seeds | Osborne Quality Seeds)
‘Green Banner’ is a vigorous, early maturing bunching onion, that produces high quality bunches. The tops are strong and very dark green. An outstanding performer in spring and fall plantings. Matures in 60 days.
Disease package: IR: PR, HR: FBR
https://www.osborneseed.com/products/green-banner-untreated-onion-seeds
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GVS 36291 F1 (Golden Valley Seed)
‘GVS 36291 F1 Hybrid’ is an early short day variety. The shape of the onion is globe. It has large to medium uniform size bulbs, and yellow, golden-brown skin with excellent skin retention. The taste is mild sweet. ‘GVS 36291 F1’ is very firm and solid when properly cured, and delicious for cooking. It can be grown anywhere short day onions do, and matures very early. This onion variety grows best between 32 degrees north latitude and 32 degrees south latitude. Matures 150 to 160 days, from transplanting.
Disease package: PR
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GVS 36532 F1 (Golden Valley Seed)
A globe shape with medium-to-large sized bulb. ‘GVS 36532 F1’ has firm white skin, mild taste, uniform, with central growing points. It’s best planted between September 15th and October 15th to avoid bolting in the Northern Hemisphere. This white short day matures early, two weeks earlier than ‘White Grano’. It grows best between 32 degrees north latitude and 32 degrees south latitude.
Disease package: PR, Foc, Uc, SR, ISD
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Hatchet (Seminis Vegetable Seeds)
‘Hatchet’ is a versatile yellow onion for the Pacific Northwest region in the United States. It performs well under overhead and drip irrigation, providing growers with management options. ‘Hatchet’ has shown to deliver a large, attractive bulb, with good scale thickness that centers well. This variety has great size potential, yield and top strength, high single centers and stores very well.
https://www.vegetables.bayer.com/us/en-us/products/onion.html
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Killington (Seminis Vegetable Seeds | Stokes Seeds Inc.)
‘Killington’ is an early maturing, medium-term storage type with large bulb, good skin retention and strong root system. This hybrid was adapted for the Northeast.
Disease package: HR: St, IR: Foc
https://us.stokeseeds.com/hybridonion-killington-0670236.html
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Medusa (Takii & Co., Ltd. | Gowan Seed Company)
A mid-season, long-day yellow onion, with excellent plant and cold soil vigor. The firm, globe-shaped bulbs have good skin quality, and thickness, with thin necks. ‘Medusa’ is widely adapted with great size potential. It is best suited for fresh and long storage markets. Matures in 108 to 110 days.
Disease package: T: Bolting
https://gowanseed.com/collections/long-day-onion/products/onion-yellow-long-hybrid-medusa
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Red Dawn (Tozer Seeds | Osborne Quality Seeds)
(Formerly ‘Apache’) a vibrantly colored red-purple scallion. ‘Red Dawn’ develops a deep color early, making it excellent for easy, low input bunching onion sales. If left to mature, it develops into an elongated pearl shape, which is easy to peel and retains color. It has vigorous roots, clean attachment, and medium green tops. Matures in 55 to 65 days.
https://www.osborneseed.com/products/apache-untreated-onion-seeds
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Red Garcia (Seminis Vegetable Seeds | Gowan Seed Company | Rupp Seeds)
This is a main season maturity red onion with medium-long storage. ‘Red Garcia’ has strong, vigorus, erect tops with attractive, dark color bulbs and excellent skin retention. Goes down fast and uniform and cuts clean. It has performed consistently well, over several years of small plot trials. Matures in 115 days.
Disease package: IR: Foc, St
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Red Marley (Seminis Vegetable Seeds | Stokes Seeds Inc.)
‘Red Marley’ produces a large, round bulb with a small neck and medium-red skin color. It has a good internal color and medium term storage potential. Ideal for the Northeast U.S. and Canada. Matures in 100 days.
Disease package: IR: Foc, Pt
https://us.stokeseeds.com/hybridonion-redmarley-0670227.html
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Red Sensation (Johnny's Selected Seeds)
‘Red Sensation’ is truly a sensational short-day red onion with strong, healthy plants and firm, thoroughly red bulbs. A grano-type, ‘Red Sensation’ grows well across various short day growing regions. It has great internal color, a high percentage of single centers, and low bolting. A great option for the early red slot, and for short storage (2 to 3 months) under ideal conditions. Matures 145 days, from fall planting. It is widely adapted.
Region: Short-day adaptation: USDA Zones 7-11, bulbing begins @ ~10-12 hrs daylight, latitude range 25°-35° N.
Disease package: IR: Foc, PR
https://www.Johnnyseeds.com/vegetables/onions/full-size-onions/red-sensation-f1-onion-seed-5231.html
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Ridgeline (Takii & Co., Ltd.)
Mostly jumbo, great skin, ‘Ridgeline’ (a long day) features a great balance of earliness, size and ability to store. Best results under irrigation. Region: New York, Colorado, Coastal California, Canada. Matures in 105 to 108 days.
Disease package: IR: PR, FBR
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Rosefire (BASF/Nunhems)
‘Rosefire’ is a short-day red onion developed for farmers in California and Texas. It boasts improved bolting tolerance and superior leaf health, maintaining high uniformity and enhancing market appeal; with its’ consistent performance. Region: California and Texas. Matures in 170 days.
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Tantrum (Crookham Company)
The ‘Tantrum’, an earlier-maturity, long-day red onion, with a deep external color and distinct ring coloring. It has a uniform globe shape, and the top architecture is upright with large, vigorous leaves and a refined neck. The root structure remains strong throughout the season. Region: Northwest, Midwest and Northeast. Matures in 112 days.
Disease package: IR: Foc, PR
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Traverse (Takii & Co., Ltd.)
‘Traverse’, a long day onion with the potential to produce jumbo bulbs. It has excellent skin, and good for fresh and storage markets. Region: Pacific Northwest, western California, Colorado, northeastern US, southeastern Canada. Matures in 101 to 105 days.
Disease package: HR: Foc, PR
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Trident (Crookham Company | Rupp Seeds)
‘Trident’ is recommended to plant in the later, long day segment; for optimal vigor during the hotter and more stressful growing season. ‘Trident’ is widely adaptable in all markets. Region: U.S. and Canada. Matures in 115 days.
https://www.ruppseeds.com/vegetables/products/onions/bulb/trident
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Vidora (Johnny's Selected Seeds)
A standout performer in the Vidalia region of Georgia, ‘Vidora’ is a sweet, yellow Granex-type onion. This early, short-day variety is prized for its’ excellent bolt resistance and reliable performance in Southern growing conditions. This jumbo-sized, early season variety produces uniform, globe-shaped bulbs with that classic sweet-Granex onion flavor people know and love. The perfect addition to your market stand or CSA box for fresh sales, but may also be stored for up to 3 months under ideal conditions. Region: Short-Day adaptation: USDA Zones 7-11, bulbing begins at about 10 to 12 hours of daylight, latitude range 25°N to-35° N. Matures in 130 days, from fall planting.
Disease package: IR: PR, HR: Bolting
https://www.Johnnyseeds.com/vegetables/onions/full-size-onions/vidora-f1-onion-seed-5229.html
View all
Adhora (BASF/Nunhems)
Caliber (Crookham Company)
Comrade (Clifton Seed Company)
Green Banner (Seminis Vegetable Seeds | Osborne Quality Seeds)
GVS 36291 F1 (Golden Valley Seed)
GVS 36532 F1 (Golden Valley Seed)
Hatchet (Seminis Vegetable Seeds)
Killington (Seminis Vegetable Seeds | Stokes Seeds Inc.)
Medusa (Takii & Co., Ltd. | Gowan Seed Company)
Red Dawn (Tozer Seeds | Osborne Quality Seeds)
Red Garcia (Seminis Vegetable Seeds | Gowan Seed Company | Rupp Seeds)
Red Marley (Seminis Vegetable Seeds | Stokes Seeds Inc.)
Red Sensation (Johnny's Selected Seeds)
Ridgeline (Takii & Co., Ltd.)
Rosefire (BASF/Nunhems)
Tantrum (Crookham Company)
Traverse (Takii & Co., Ltd.)
Trident (Crookham Company | Rupp Seeds)
Vidora (Johnny's Selected Seeds)
Disease Code Key
FBR: Fusarium basal rot
Foc: Fusarium
HR: High resistance
IR: Intermediate resistance
Pt: Pink root caused by Phoma terrestris (syn. Pyrenochaeta terrestris)
T: Tolerance
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Carol Miller is the Content Lead of American Vegetable Grower®, a Meister Media Worldwide publication. See all author stories here.