Onion

The onion is most frequently a biennial or a perennial plant, but is usually treated as an annual and harvested in its first growing season.

The onion plant has a fan of hollow, bluish-green leaves and the bulb at the base of the plant begins to swell when a certain day-length is reached. In the autumn, the foliage dies down and the outer layers of the bulb become dry and brittle. The crop is harvested and dried and the onions are ready for use or storage. Onions are cultivated and used around the world. As a food item, they are usually served cooked, as a vegetable or part of a prepared  savoury dish, but can also be eaten raw or used to make pickles or chutneys.