Look what I found…

These are Allium tricoccum, also known as ramps or wild leeks. They’re a perenniel wild onion with a garlic-like smell and quite a strong flavour. The ones in the photo have a lot of soil still around most of the bulbs because I had a little idea that I could plant them in amongst the trees and shrubbery in the back yard and in a few years I could have my own ramp patch. I have no idea if it will work, but I transplanted some and we’ll see.

Ramps are slow to regenerate, so if people harvest a lot from a forest, it’s possible to wipe them right out of that woods. In some places, such as Quebec, there are laws in place to protect ramps due to overharvesting. The forest where I found these has a plentiful supply, but still I only remove a small amount. I would love to be able to dig a few at this spot each year for many many years to come.

In answer to your next question, yes I was also looking for morels but no I didn’t find any.

And finally, yes I know you have one more question, something about where exactly I found these. Unfortunately my short term memory isn’t what it once was, and sadly I forget. It could have been anywhere.

Related articles

• Are ramps being overharvested? (flxpermaculture.net)
• At the market | Ramps (Ramp pesto) (nettleandquince.com)
• Wandering on the Last Day of March: Impermanence & Wild Ramps (theselightfootsteps.com)
• Ramps, fiddleheads, sunchokes and other spring vegetables about which people are freaking out (eatocracy.cnn.com)