Walla Walla sweet onion
Vegetable
Walla Walla sweet onion
In 2007, the Walla Walla sweet onion was designated as the official vegetable of the state of Washington.β The Walla Walla Sweet is from Walla Walla and is only grown properly in the Walla Walla Valley.
The Walla Walla Sweet finds its origins on the island of Corsica. Over a century ago, a retired French soldier found a sweet onion seed there and brought it to the Walla Walla Valley. The sweet onion had impressive winter hardiness well-suited for the climate of southeastern Washington. Soon he and other immigrants in the area began harvesting the seed. After several generations of careful hand selection, the sweet onion developed greater sweetness, size, and shape. Today, there are many growers producing Walla Walla Sweet onions on farmland in the Walla Walla Valley. Sweet onion season is mid-June through September.
βThe measure was a class project for a seventh-grade honors social-studies class at Eatonville Middle School. In prior years, the bill had also been a project of a Kirkland Junior high school.