Ramp, Wild Leek
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Ramps Seeds and Flowers
Tiny, hard, round, black seeds appear on umbrella-like clusters on a slender stalk in late summer and fall. In late fall, you can locate the bulb by looking for the remnants of the seed head. |
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You recognize this premier member of the onion/garlic family by it’s elongated-oval smooth-edged, stalked leaves, 4-12 inches long and 1 to 2-1/2 inches wide, emerging in dense stands from the floor of moist, open woodlands throughout Eastern North America every spring.
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Ramps Leaves and Bulb
The bulbs are at their smallest in early spring, when the growing leaves absorb the nutrients for rapid growth. |
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Crush any part of the plant, and its familial affinity will hit you right in the nose.
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Young Ramps in Early Spring
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Lily-of-the-valley, beautiful but deadly (it reminds me of my ex-girlfriend) has similar leaves, but no odor. Ramp leaves die back when tree leaves block the sunlight from reaching them in late spring, but a slender, smooth, erect flower stalk, 6 inches to 1-1/2 feet tall, supports a small, umbrella-like cluster of 6-petaled white to cream-colored flowers in early summer. |
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Ramp Flowers
The 6-petaled flowers are typical of the lily family, to which ramps and onions belong. |
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The flowers are followed by three-lobed, green fruit.
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Ramp Fruit
Note the 3 lobes of each fruit. |
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The fruits open in the fall to expose tiny, globular, shiny, black seeds in sets of threes.
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Ramp Seeds
Before falling to the ground, the seeds grow in sets of 3. |
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Ramp Seeds Close-up
Note the 3 chambers in the opened fruit. |
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Underground, you’ll find white bulbs, usually clustered, which are edible spring (when I usually collect just the leaves, since the bulbs are small then), summer, and fall (plus mild winters, if you can find them).
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Ramp Bulb in Summer
The bulb looks like an oblong onion, but packs way more punch! |
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When there are no leaves, look for the flower- or seedstalk to locate the bulbs.
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Ramp Skeleton
Locate this in the fall and you'll know where to dig for the bulbs. |
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There are no two ways about it: Whether you use the leaves or the bulbs, this is simply the best-tasting member of the entire onion family, wild or commercial. You can use the leaves or bulbs raw or cooked. Any cooking method works, taking 5-15 minutes. You’ll find that ramps are terrific, and so is the resulting bad breath. If you can’t find ramps in the wild, you may purchase them in gourmet stores. Otherwise, substitute shallots. |
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