Onions are bulbs, like tulips or daffodils — most of the plant is hidden in the soil, with roots stretching down and stalks that grow upward and eventually bloom with small flowers. Onions are typically harvested in the fall, and they come in many shapes, sizes, and colors, all of which can be eaten. The Latin root of onion, unionem, was used in colloquial Roman to mean both "a type of onion" and "a pearl."