It’s a crisp-but-sunny May morning, and my tastebuds are tingling. Not for tea or coffee. Not even for an asparagus and smoked salmon scramble. No, there’s an even more time-tuned springtime savory that I’m craving. I’m ready for wild ramps!
Ramps, also commonly known as wild leeks or spring onions, are the first (and greatly welcomed) wild edibles to emerge from the forest duff.
(Source: Tyler Frakes, “‘Ramping’ Up the Search for Spring’s Wild Edibles”, Adirondack Council)
An especial May gastronomical gift (and a darling of the seasonal culinary calendar) the legendary wild ramp is just beginning to awaken in our Adirondack Coast woodlands. This forager’s delight, also know as wild leeks or spring onions, is an ephemeral delicacy as fleeting as it is flavorful.
Are you inspired to sauté up some wild ramps? My photographs in this post date to May 7, 2020 during that quasi dream period early in the pandemic. Time had slowed down, and I found time to do some of the things that too often get overlooked in the normal hustle bustle.
The next time I forage wild ramps, I’ll be more sensitive with my harvest. Instead of pulling up the bulbs, I’ll harvest leaves alone in the hopes of preserving the health of the ramps.
Spring Ephemerals
It’s the early leaves that are most appreciated. In pre-freezer days, ramps were the first greens available after five or so months of potatoes…
Wild leeks are spring ephemerals that have no flowers in the spring… it’s the extra short lifespan of the photosynthetic machinery that defines a spring ephemeral, not the timing of flowering. The rounded flower heads of leeks appear in July, well after the leaves have withered and disappeared.
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Unlike most plants, they grow best in the cool temperatures of early spring and tend to fade when it’s hot. The canopy in the hardwood forests that are home to wild leeks is closed by the end of May, and there’s not much time between snowmelt and dense shade. Like their fellow spring ephemerals, leek leaves are in a big hurry to manufacture a year’s worth of carbohydrates.
(Source: Virginia Barlow, “Native Plants: All About Wild Leeks”, The Adirondack Almanack)
And this, my friend, a fleeting blip on the seasonal culinary calendar, is the root of the ramp’s rarity. 
If you’re feeling adventurous and already pulling on your muck boots and barn coat, grabbing your harvesting hod, and heading out the door, here are some helpful tips. 
Ramps or wild leeks (Allium tricoccum) grow in the rich, moist soil of hardwood forests… They often blanket the ground on hillsides under beech, maples, hemlocks and oaks. The long, lance-shaped leaf and reddish stem, as well as the distinct garlic scent, help identify them.
(Source: Yvona Fast, “Go wild with ramps”, Adirondack Daily Enterprise)
And here is another identification guide.
Ramps (Allium tricoccum) are easily recognizable. They have broad, thin bright green leaves that measure 1 – 2 ½ inches wide and 4-8 inches in length. Stems measure 1-3 inches and are pinkish red. Residing shallowly under the soil is a small, white bulb.
(Source: Tyler Frakes, “‘Ramping’ Up the Search for Spring’s Wild Edibles”, Adirondack Council)
That small white bulb and its tangle of roots is what I aim to leave behind during my next wild ramp foraging. Better practice I think. Less likely to deplete nature’s gift.
Ramp Imposter
If keen on cooking up your own freshly foraged wild ramps, please be prudent. Ensure that your harvest is safe.
Ramps can sometimes be mistaken for the poisonous, Lily-of-the-Valley. The leaves of the two plants are nearly identical. However, the difference is made clear during bloom. The Lily-of-the-Valley has small, white bell-like flowers the run the length of a short stalk. Ramp blossoms are small, white clusters at the end of a tall stalk. If you have a harder time distinguishing one from the other break off a small piece of leaf and smell. Ramps give off a strong garlic/onion aroma comparable to fresh garden chives. Even when undisturbed their odorous scent can be detected by those with a keen nose.
(Source: Tyler Frakes, “‘Ramping’ Up the Search for Spring’s Wild Edibles”, Adirondack Council)
Wild ramps’ pungent chive-onion-garlic smell is perhaps the best identifier. Just trudging through the woods you might stumble upon a colony of ramps when you footfalls release their spirited springtime perfume!
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