Onion Types

Onion is a diverse agricultural crop classified into groups based on response to day length. Onions form bulbs in response to a critical day length and are classified as short-, intermediate-, and long-day types. Bulbs also vary in color (red, yellow, and white), shape (flat, globe, grano, torpedo), flavor (sweet or pungent), and market use (fresh, storage, and processing). Most onion varieties grown in Utah are long-day, pungent, storage types that respond favorably to local growing conditions. 

Selecting appropriate onion varieties for a location and market is an important decision. There are many onion varieties available, and seed companies introduce new ones each year. Some varieties commonly grown in Utah include ‘Calibra’, ‘Candy’, ‘Charismatic’, ‘Crockett’, ‘Delgado’, ‘Desperado’, ‘Granero’, ‘Joaquin’, ‘Legend’, ‘Maverick’, ‘Mesquite’, ‘Ranchero’, ‘Redwing’, ‘Sedona’, ‘Swale’, ‘Tequila’, and ‘Vaquero’.