Ramps (Allium tricoccum) are a native plant commonly called wild leaks found growing as an ephemeral in moist woodlands of the Appalachian mountain range in eastern North America. As an early springtime ephemeral, it disappears within a month or two and remains dormant until the following spring. These small, slow-to-mature bulbs spread and colonize over time, featuring pinkish-white flowers. It can take seven years to harvest from seed and three years from bulbs. Plants, bulbs, and seeds typically are started in spring but can be planted in fall.
I. Appearance and Characteristics
Allium tricoccum (commonly known as ramp, ramps, ramson, wild leek, wood leek, or wild garlic) is a bulbous perennial flowering plant in the amaryllis family Amaryllidaceae. It is a North American species of wild onion or garlic widespread across eastern Canada and the eastern United States.
Allium tricoccum was first named as such in 1789 by the Scottish botanist William Aiton, in Hortus Kewensis, a catalog of plants cultivated in London’s Kew botanic garden. The species had been introduced to Britain in 1770. The specific epithet tricoccum refers to the possession of three seeds.
Many of the common English names for this plant are also used for other Allium species, particularly the similar Allium ursinum, which is native to Europe and Asia. An edible plant, Allium tricoccum is used in a variety of North American and indigenous cuisines, and has also been used by Native Americans in traditional medicine. A French rendering (chicagou) of a Native American name for this plant is the namesake of the American city of Chicago.
Allium tricoccum is a perennial growing from an ovoid-conical shaped bulb that is 2–6 cm (1–2 in) long. Plants typically produce a cluster of 2–6 bulbs that give rise to broad, flat, smooth, light green leaves that are 20–30 cm (8–12 in) long including the narrow petioles, often with deep purple or burgundy tints on the lower stems. The bulbs are white and surrounded by brownish to grayish sheathing. Each cluster of bulbs gives rise to one flowering stem.
The flowers are arranged into an umbel that has an erect scape that is typically 10–40 cm (4–16 in) long. The inflorescence has two ovate bracts that enclose the flowers before they open and fall away at anthesis. The flowering stem is persistent after fruiting. The flowering most commonly occurs after the leaves have died back, unlike the similar Allium ursinum, in which leaves and flowers can be seen at the same time. Ramps grow in close groups strongly rooted just beneath the surface of the soil. Flowering occurs in June or July into August. The flowers have white, cream or yellowish sepals which are 4–7 mm (1⁄8–1⁄4 in) long.
The stamens are about as tall as the tepals and the filaments of the stamens have widened bases and are inserted on the corolla. After flowering and fertilization green fruits are produced that are three-lobed and open by way of three valves. The seeds are round, black, and shiny.
II. How to Grow and Care
Sunlight
Ramps are spring woodland plants, so they need protection from summer’s extreme sun and heat. If you can’t plant them on the edge of a woodland, where they will be sheltered as the trees leaf out, at least give them a spot in the shade to partial shade.
Temperature and Humidity
The ideal temperature for ramps is 54 degrees Fahrenheit during the day, dropping to 46 degrees Fahrenheit at night. Still, it commonly grows in temperatures ranging from 45 to 65 degrees Fahrenheit during the day and 42 to 58 degrees Fahrenheit at night. As native plants of northeastern U.S. hardwood forests, ramps grow in humidity levels ranging from about 5 percent in late winter to above 60 percent at the end of May.
Watering
Ramps like regular moisture but do not grow well in wet soils. If other woodland flowers such as bloodroot, trillium, and trout lily will grow in the area, ramps should do fine. They grow actively only briefly in the spring, so there is little room for error.
Soil
To grow ramps in your yard, pick a site as close to their native growing conditions as possible. They are usually found in moist areas under deciduous trees. The soil should have a good amount of organic matter and be well-draining. The soil pH should be close to neutral, ideally between 6.8 and 7.2.
Fertilizing
Ramps may need no feeding if the soil is rich in organic matter and has a neutral pH. They prefer soil with relatively high levels of calcium and magnesium; if your soil conditions are poor, consider feeding with these nutrients.
Planting Instructions
Ramps can be planted as bulbs or seeds. The ideal planting times vary based on the method you choose. Bulbs yield vegetables in half the time.
- When to Plant
When growing ramps in a home garden, the primary goals are harvesting the aromatic leaves in spring and establishing the colony for future growth. Ramps can be planted as bulbs from September to March (best: February to mid-March) or as seeds from late summer to early fall (August to early October).
In the wild, ramps take advantage of the increased daylight and rising temperatures of early spring, when the deciduous trees above have not yet leafed out. As the season progresses and the tree canopies fill in, the ramps fade under the sparse light that reaches the forest floor. The leaves start to wither in early summer and are followed by the flower stalks, while the bulbs grow underground.
- Selecting a Planting Site
A wooded area or naturalized shade garden that remains cool with loamy soil is the best spot for a ramp colony. Water the plants well, and mulch the whole bed with shredded leaves or leaf mold.
- Spacing, Depth, and Support
When starting with transplants or bulbs, be very careful not to damage the roots or bulbs. Plant at the same depth they were in the pot (about 3 inches deep), and space the plants about 4 to 6 inches apart to allow them to spread. When planting seeds, press them into the soil about 4 inches apart and cover them with an inch of damp leaves.
Pruning
Remove weeds that would compete with ramps for nutrients and space. Also, to control the size of your colony and prevent too many ramps in one area from competing with each other, deadhead flowers or collect scapes before they can develop into berries and seeds that drop to the ground. If you have a densely packed colony, harvest bulbs—root and all–to allow for more growing space.
Propagation
Ramps are best propagated by planting bare root bulbs, seeds, and the division of current colonies. Here’s how to divide an existing colony and plant bulbs:
- Dig up a cubic square of soil using a shovel.
- Replant the entire plot of soil as it is in a new location.
- Or, you can tease apart each of the bulbs and plant each separately, about 4 inches apart and 3 inches deep.
How to Grow From Seed
The seed is dispersed close to the mother plant. Growing ramps from seed can take a long time. The seed embryo is not fully developed in fresh seed and may remain dormant. It needs warm and cold stratification for germination, meaning it needs to be warm and moist to break root dormancy, then it must be cold to break shoot dormancy. Since the weather fluctuates yearly, it can take a couple of years for the seed to germinate. The best time to sow ramp seeds is in late summer to early fall. Here’s how:
- Scratch and loosen the top layer of soil and press the seed into it.
- Cover with about an inch of shredded, damp leaves.
- It can take two to three years before germination and shoots form. It can take three or four more years before they’re ready for harvesting.
Overwintering
Since its temperature and moisture needs are particular, it may take several seasons before ramp seed sprouts. Ramp seeds have a dormant, underdeveloped embryo. Ramps need a winter season to enable germination and shoot dormancy. Ramps do not need any winter protection.
Pests and Diseases
As ephemerals with such a short period above ground, ramps are rarely impacted by insects or disease. These pests and diseases rarely affect harvest; however, the septoria leaf spot and a fly, the allium leaf miner (Phytomyza gymnostoma), are two things to watch for. Also, aphids and caterpillars can latch onto foliage.
To prevent leaf spot, avoid watering from above and water at the ground level. To get aphids and caterpillars off your plants, spray them with a cold water hose to dislodge them. Use floating row covers to keep allium leaf miners away from your plants, or consider insecticidal control methods.
III. Uses and Benefits
- Medicinal uses
The Cherokee eat the plant as a spring tonic, for colds and for croup. They also use the warm juice for earaches. The Ojibwa use a decoction as a quick-acting emetic. The Iroquois use a decoction of the root to treat worms in children, and as a spring tonic to “clean you out”. Some Native Americans used juice from the crushed bulbs to treat insect stings.
- Culinary uses
Allium tricoccum is popular in the cuisines of the rural uplands of its native region. Both the white lower leaf stalks and the broad green leaves are edible. It is regarded as an early spring vegetable with a strong garlic-like odor and a pronounced onion flavor. Ramps also have a growing popularity in restaurants throughout North America.
The plant’s flavor, a combination of onions and strong garlic, is adaptable to numerous cooking styles. In central Appalachia, ramps are most commonly fried with potatoes in bacon fat or scrambled with eggs and served with bacon, pinto beans and cornbread. Ramps can also be pickled or used in soups and other foods in place of onions and garlic.
IV. Harvesting and Storage
Ramp leaves have an elongated oval shape that tapers to a point. They resemble lily of the valley leaves, although a bit slimmer. Wild leeks have a flower stalk that tends to emerge as the leaves fade. You can harvest ramps at any time, but harvesting before the patch has had a chance to enlarge will very quickly deplete the patch.
Give the patch a few years to spread, then harvest by thinning out the largest plants, digging the whole clump, bulb, and all. Be careful not to damage neighboring plants.
Their flavor is a combination of spring onions and garlic. Ramps are delicious when eaten on their own or can be used to flavor other dishes. The leaves, stems, and bulbs can be blanched, fried, chopped, and mixed into dishes.
These perennials are very slow to reach maturity for harvest. Plants started from seed may not be harvestable for seven years, while those created from bulbs or young plants may be ready to harvest in two to three years.
To store ramps in the refrigerator for up to a week: Wash off the dirt, wrap them loosely in a damp paper towel, and place them in the crisper drawer. To keep them longer: Blanch, freeze, pickle, or dehydrate them. They can also be ground down into a seasoning powder.
