Wild Leek (Ramps) Seed (Allium tricoccum)

One the most esteemed wild food plants of the continent ramps (aka wild leeks) are native to the woodlands of eastern North America -- yet we’ve found them to be fairly adaptable as a shade or forest garden plant, even outside of their native range.

In Western Washington we’ve had success growing ramps in the dappled understory of our farm forest land, especially within alder thickets and among mixed stands of big leaf maple. The plants persist well in moist, fertile soils, especially areas that get a lot of early spring sun, then late spring shade (e.g. under deciduous trees). First identifiable by their vibrant green spring foliage, the leaves die back in summer as the plants produce small white-purple flowers.

Note that these are slow to mature plants. Seeds tend to have some dormancy and can require both cold exposure and extended time in the soil (sometimes more than a year) to initiate germination. The tiny young plants are not competitive and require some space and access to light to survive. As they grow, the developing plants remain dormant throughout much of the late summer and winter, with a very active spring growth period. This limited annual growth period means that it requires several years before the plants mature enough to start flowering and producing seed.

With a flavor somewhere between garlic and onion, both the beautiful green leaves and the lower white stem of ramps are edible, and are excellent sauteed and added to numerous recipes. However, to sustain a wild-growing population, ramps should be clipped off at the base, rather than pulled from the ground (leaving the root system intact to sustain future growth). Additionally, it is best to not harvest the same plants repeatedly year-after-year. Rather, they should be rotationally clipped, allowing individual plants to have “rest” years without harvesting.

Because ramps are do not thrive under conifers, nor do they compete with thick old growth forest understory vegetation (such as salal and ferns), and because they are slow growing, they require very specific site conditions to establish themselves. Where those conditions exist however, ramps are a delight, and an interesting semi-wild forest food that many more people could be growing and enjoying.

Approximately 50-seeds (1.0 grams)