How to Grow and Harvest Ramps

Ramps, also known by their scientific name Allium tricoccum or the common names wild leeks, wild garlic, or ramsons, are a type of wild onion. They are native to much of Eastern North America and Appalachia spanning from Georgia all the way to Canada across the Appalachian Mountains, including North Carolina, Maine, West Virginia, New York, Minnesota, Tennessee, and Quebec. They are most often found growing among organic matter on the forest floor of deciduous forests and hardwood forests.

Ramps have wide, broad leaves with long flower stalks that have red stems. Wild ramps are spring ephemerals: They grow in early spring, produce an umbel of white flowers, and then die back early in the growing season. They are a very popular wild edible plant sought out by foragers for their earthy onion flavor. In the kitchen, they can be used in the same manner as scallions or spring onions. Native Americans such as the Cherokee used the wild plants as spring tonics for healing. Today, there are entire ramp festivals dedicated to foraging and cooking with this special plant.

There are three different plants commonly considered ramps.

1. 1. Allium tricoccum var. tricoccum: A. tricoccum is the most common type of ramp plant found growing in the wild. It has two wide green leaves and a large bulb.
2. 2. Allium tricoccum var. burdickii: Also known as Allium burdickii, narrowleaf ramp, or Chicago leek, this ramp plant has narrower leaves and a smaller bulb.
3. 3. Allium ursinum: Known as bear’s garlic or ramson, this species is native to northern Eurasia and has flowers and leaves that bloom at the same time. Although not technically a ramp, bear’s garlic is used in much the same way as ramps.

You can create an environment for growing ramps in your garden and enjoy them for cooking or as wildflowers. Ramp plants grow best in USDA Hardiness Zones 3 through 7 and will grow in the same cool and damp conditions as wildflowers such trout lilies, trillium, or ginseng. It is best to plant them after the early springtime or during late summer or early fall.

1. 1. Prepare your location. You can plant ramps in a wooded area in your home garden or in a raised bed. Choose a spot where the plants will get only partial sunlight or partial shade, preferably a north- or east-facing slope or under the shade of large deciduous trees. Ramps prefer moist, well-draining soil and should be mulched with partially decomposed deciduous leaves.
2. 2. Plant your seeds, bulbs, or transplants. Ramps can be planted by seed, bulb, or transplant. Plant seeds one to two inches apart, at a depth equal to twice the seed’s diameter. Bulbs should be planted 2–4 inches deep, and transplants should be planted deep enough to cover the white ramp bulb.
3. 3. Water frequently. Ramp plants thrive in damp environments, so you will want to water them year-round if you have dry soil. A drip irrigation system and frequent mulching can help maintain soil moisture.
4. 4. Wait. All methods of ramp-planting require patience. Ramp seeds require a warm and cool period to germinate, a process that may take as long as two years. To speed up germination, store your seeds in a plastic bag with a bit of moist vermiculite for sixty days before planting. Planting bulbs or transplanting mature plants may be faster, but it may still take several years for a ramp patch to reach harvestable levels.

The best way to harvest ramps in the wild or in your garden is to remove just one leaf from each plant. You can leave the other leaf and the bulb intact and it will continue growing, which is a great way to help preserve wild populations of ramps and reduce your impact on ramp patches in the forest. If you do want the bulb, cut the ramp plant so that at least a third of the root remains in the ground and it will grow back. When harvesting ramps, make sure to use a sharp knife to get a clean cut. Never harvest more than 10 percent of a ramp patch at once, and try not to harvest the same patch more than once every five years.

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