Growing Ramps, Also Known as Wild Leeks Allium tricoccum

Wild ramps are a long time favorite of foragers and now cooks across the country. Their unique flavor is a combination of garlic, scallions, onions and leeks. Try growing your own perennial crop of ramps from seeds, bulbs or bare root plants.

Wild ramps appear early in the spring as temperatures begin to warm and before the trees leaf out. The ramp leaves fade after a few months before the flowers appear and then the plants go dormant.

Ramps are challenging to start from seed and can take a full year or two to sprout when planted directly in the garden.

Grow ramps in shady moist conditions similar to those trilliums, trout lilies and Mayapples prefer.  Harvesting can begin 3 to 5 years after planting bulblets or 7 years after sowing seed. Always leave plenty of bulbs behind to maintain a productive patch.

A bit more information:  Ramps are hardy in zones 3 to 7. You can eat the leaves, stems and bulbs raw, blanched, fried or chipped. They can also be mixed into dishes for added flavor.

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onions large-flowered-trillium mayapple

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