whats happening to this onion?

[jesssands]

Looks like its having babies out of its bottom?!!
They have been drying in the shed since july.

[jesssands]

[gavinjconway]

Just a bit of nature .... they sometimes split like that..

[Hi_Hoe]

I think its trying to regrow! in the right (...or wrong....?) environment, garlic does the same. Ive had this before - use these onions first!

[squeezyjohn]

Agreed!

It's not dead or dormant and has been left upside down and is trying to grow in the opposite direction through the split in the roots

[ed dibbles]

Many ornamental bulbs can be propagated using this "damaged basal plate" technique.

Hyacinths are the obvious example but you can see how it would work with alliums too.

Best to eat what you can of this one though.