Ramp Up!

I planted ramps (Allium tricoccum) about two years ago–itty bitty bulbs that I wasn’t sure was going to take. But surprisingly, they all survived and have established themselves in a dark, shady corner of my perennial food forest. They do best in rich, moist soils with partial or full shade. Hardy from zones 3 to 7, they’re a great addition to a mature food forest, or one that is slightly boggy or too shaded for other things.

Considered a forager’s delight, their garlick-y, onion-y flavor is favored among those who pick wild food during the spring. But, to be honest, since I also grow both onion and garlic chives, and regular garlic which has delicious greens too, I don’t fully understand the draw of it other than the fact that it thrives in places where other things may not grow due to constant soil moisture and lack of sun. It takes so long for them to reach a harvestable age, compared with my garlics and other allium species. Perhaps when they’re big enough for me to harvest, I’ll change my tune.

Their leaves die back quickly during the spring, grow a single flower stalk, go to seed, and remain dormant until the next year. Supposedly, at around 7 years old, the mature bulbs begin giving off bulblets which will grow new plants. If you choose to plant them from seed, they have a long germination time of 6 – 18 months, require specific conditions to do so. They take a long time to grow, which is why there have been special concerns about foragers harvesting them. If you find a patch, it’s better to just harvest a single leaf from each plant, rather than taking the entire bulb.