Nice little find on my parents' farm!
Ramps!
mouth watering!
My brother has been helping them by clearing out some dying trees from the margins of the woods, and it's been fun seeing all the different plants that show up now that the shade isn't as dense. This past weekend I saw huge colonies of dutchman's breeches and ramps.
Yummy, it's a great year for them here.
There are great swaths of ramps growing in our woodlands this year.
Nice, Steve. I tried to convince my parents and brothers that they could harvest some of the ramps and cook with them, but they seemed skeptical.
It's good to be skeptical when it comes to foraging plants.
That's why you always see the disclaimer "check with a local expert first".
I harvest them every year so I already know what to look for, but they're not particularly hard to identify. The potent onion smell is very obvious if you tear a leaf or crack the stem.
Just to be safe, you should always have a "local expert" confirm your ID. I've seen ramps with white stems, red stems and purple stems just above the bulb. The leaf broadness varies quite a bit too in different populations.
Tasty find, there, I6blue, congratulations.
What are Ramps?
I wanna find some! There are a few things growing in the sunny spots in our woods that I can't identify, that sorta kinda look like ramps. I need to yank some up and bring them to the local extension service to identify.
gasrocks, they're Allium tricoccum, aka, wild leeks, aka delicious. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allium_tricoccum
Thanks. Wonder if I have some. I'll have to look. Does anyone know if they grow in my area?
This message was edited May 14, 2012 11:21 AM
According to the USDA map, they grow in Wisconsin. If you click on the map on your state, it will tell you which counties it's prevalent in.
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=ALTR3
Cool. Includes the country I live in.
It might be a little late in the season, gasrocks. The Ramps here have already lost their leaves and sent up their flower buds. (Still good to eat, just harder to find) I am on the border of zone 6b/a. 5a can't be too far behind. Best of luck. :)
gasrocks, my ramps (zone 4b) are already losing their leaves, so, as Steve pointed out, you may have a hard time finding them, although I am sure they are there.
Once, long ago I was told that anything you find "wild" that smells like an onion or garlic is OK to eat. Yes?
Oh, nooo, I guess ours are done for the season, too. I will know to look earlier next year.
Here's a link to my "after the leaves are gone" picture of ramps. They are still harvest-able, don't despair.
Edit: Doh!...forgot the link.
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1257379/
This message was edited May 16, 2012 7:32 PM
Oops, ya forgot the link. lol
Added the link. Sorry...had a brain fart.
LOL Thanks! Don't feel bad, it happens to me a lot!