Where Are They, What Are They and How to Grow Ramps

We’ve been researching and planting ramps here in North Carolina, and the more we learn, the more excited we are about future prospects for growing ramps vegetables for food, health and profit!

And while most people just call them ramps, rather than ramps vegetables, when writing an article about them, we have to include the additional words of “ramps plant” or “ramps vegetables” in order to distinguish them from something like access ramps!

If you’ve never heard of them, or have but want to know more, I think you’re in for a treat. We’re certainly enchanted!

What Are Ramps – the Food?

The wild ramp, botanical or scientific name — Allium tricoccom — is a deliciously edible vegetable with edible greens and bulbs.

Common Names for Ramp Vegetables – Allium Tricoccom

• Ramp / Ramps
• Ramson
• Spring Onion
• Wild leeks
• Wild garlic
• Wood leek

Ramp Plant Parts

• Bulbs – white
• Stems – red
• Leaves – spring green
• Flowers – white
• Seeds – black

What Do Ramps Taste Like?

Ramps taste like a cross between wild onions and wild garlic.

The edible ramp bulbs look like spring onion bulbs, with a strong pungent taste of the perfect blend of onion and garlic. It’s like nature prepared her own dish of perfectly blended onions and garlic in ramps.

The entire ramp plant — leaves, stems and bulbs — is edible and can be used in much the same way you’d use those favorite seasoning vegetables. But more than that, ramps also have flavorful, nutrient rich greens and health boosting bulbs that can be cooked up in all kinds of dishes.

As a food source, the Allium species are foraged, cultivated and prepared by people all over the world. Allium tricoccom belong to a very large family including onions, garlic, leeks, chives, spring onions, garlic chives, scallions, and wild garlic.

Where Do Ramps Grow?

Ramps are native to North America and widely used by native cultures. European settlers, familiar with consuming a similar type of wild leek — Allium ursinum — began harvesting ramps as the first wild leafy vegetable to emerge in spring. Loaded with minerals, vitamins and antioxidants, ramps were considered a health tonic.

Ramps are especially popular in the native woodland mountains of Appalachia where special ramp dinners and festivals are held to celebrate and partake of these “wild leeks”. Many community organizations have come to depend on ramp dinner revenues. And, during the impending spring of 2021 still under the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, many eateries will be offering take out or drive thru ramp dinners.

Although ramps are native to the Eastern portion of the US/Canada (see map) they are worth trying to grow in the Pacific Northwest as well. You can read more about that in Perennial Vegetables by Eric Toensmeier.

When is Ramp Season?

The perennial ramps are early spring edible plants that emerge with lily like leaves anchored by bulbs and roots in the decaying leaf fodder of deciduous forests. Bright kelly green ramp leaves are easy to spot as they grow usually two at a time to a mature size of 8-10 inches.

As the tree canopy above leafs out and throws more shade below, the leaves lack the ability to photosynthesize and soon die off. Eventually, flower stalks appear and once fertilized, produce round black seeds. Very few of these ramp seeds take hold enough to produce plants after overwintering. Some seeds take another warm period followed by a cold winter to propagate.

WARNING: Do NOT confuse lily of the valley for ramps, for Lily-of-the-Valley, C. majalis, is highly poisonous.

Foraging Ramps

Ramps have increasingly gained popularity as a gourmet delicacy in city restaurants and upscale produce markets. Unfortunately, this has the effect of encouraging profit seeking foragers to over harvest ramps. Much like those who hunt ginseng, these enterprising but short-sighted hunter-gatherers often clear out an entire patch of ramps at a time, heedless of the after effects. Either that, or there are several waves of people foraging, with the same result: more demand than supply.

The growing popularity of the “wild ramp” has had an unsustainable impact on its presence in the wild forest. Ramps are slow to propagate, slow to spread, and slow to recover from over-harvesting. Some states have begun issuing restrictions on foraging in their forest lands. 

The good news for gardeners, farmers and growers is that this may be a good crop to grow for market gardeners.

Growing Ramps

Ramps can be grown by the home gardener, the forest farmer, or the commercial grower. Growing ramp crops is simply a matter of site selection, cultivation, and patience.

How to Grow Ramps in the Woods

Provide a deciduous hardwood forest canopy for shade, moist organic rich well-drained soil conditions with a pH preference of 6.8-7.2, a definite cold season during the winter months. Most sources indicate the best USDA grow Zones 3-8, a definite warm period, and several years before any major harvesting.

How to Grow Ramps in the Garden

It’s also possible to duplicate growing conditions of a forest floor, using hardwood leaf mulch, a rich organic well drained soil, and shade covering that mimics that of a hardwood tree canopy like shade fabric.

Thus, a solution is presented that will alleviate the pressure of over-harvesting while at the same time, offering commercial growers to fill the need of the increasing demand for ramps. For those, like us who are venturing into permaculture and forest farming, being able to grow our ramps beneath the canopy of our hillside woodland enhances our food forest.

Beyond that, we’re certainly casting an eye toward future for-profit farming crops we can grow on our wooded land.

How to Grow Ramps

There are two methods of growing ramps: Seeds and Bulbs

As mentioned earlier, ramp seeds are not naturally proficient in germinating into ramp plants. However, if properly handled, fresh ramp seeds can be a viable way to begin a growing operation.

Growing Ramps from Seeds – Advantages & Disadvantages

• Less expensive
• Easily available from reputable sellers
• Plant during the late summer or early fall
• Up to 18 months to germinate into a plant
• Takes 5-7 years to harvest

How to Plant Ramp Seeds

• Pick a proper location (as described above)
• Prepare planting bed by raking leaves from forest floor; lightly cultivate and pull any other plants
• If soil lacks organic matter incorporate amendments of organic soil mix, calcium (gypsum), and composted manure and leaves
• Loosen and rake the soil into a luxurious seed bed
• Place 10-12 seeds directly on the surface in an area about the size of your hand, then gently press each seed into the soil. 
• Mulch with 2-3 inches of deciduous leaf litter to control moisture, wildlife predation and weeds

Growing Ramps from Bulbs – Advantages and Disadvantages

• Shorter time period before harvesting at 2-3 years
• More expensive
• Bulblets may be hard to obtain
• More careful transplanting and cultivation of planting beds required

How to Plant Ramp Bulbs

• Ramp bulbs can be planted in late Feb thru March in our region (Zone 7A) Check with your local Ag Extension Office for specifics to your area
• Can also be planted in the fall when dormant 
• Plant bulbs at the proper depth 3 inches deep and 3-4 inches apart
• All roots must be buried with only the tip showing
• Apply 2-3 inches of deciduous leaf litter to control moisture and weeds
• After planting bulbs ramps can be ready for picking in 2-3 years.

Planting Ramps Vegetables – a Perennial Vegetable

Ramps Two Months After Planting Bulbs

HARVESTING RAMPS

It takes patience to properly harvest ramps. From seed to readiness may take 5 to 7 years! Yep, a lot like Ginseng and Goldenseal. However, you can harvest some of the greens from the first year onward.

If grown from transplants (bulbs), it can take 2 to 3 years – a very good reason to invest in ramp bulbs! The patch should have filled the site and gone through at least one prior season of flowering.

In native patches, ramps often form into clumps. The bulbs become densely spaced and other vegetation rarely gains a footing. Methods for harvest include digging the whole patch, harvesting a portion of a patch, or thinning out only the larger plants.

Do not harvest plants until they have filled the site, have large bulbs, and have flowered. To have continuous harvest year after year, harvest only one-fifth or one-seventh of your production area each year.

The Cherokees practice the tradition of removing only the top third of the ramp leaves allowing the “trimmed” plant to grow on and produce flowers and seeds for the years to come.

Harvesting Wild Leeks (Ramps)

• 5-7 years to harvest ramp bulbs when grown from seeds
• 3-5 years to harvest ramp bulbs when grown from bulbs
• Greens can be sparsely harvested from the first year
• Native American Indians harvested top 1/3 of ramp greens

Ramp Health Benefits

What makes these stinky garlic plants so special?

• Heart-Contains Kaempferol (sulphur compounds) which reduces cholesterol and protects blood vessel lining

• High in iron for healthy immune function and increased energy levels, especially helpful for women

• Contains choline which supports brain activity and aids learning

• Provides essential vitamin B (folate) that promotes healthy blood pressure and prevents stroke

• Cancer fighting antioxidants and polyphenols – higher than tomatoes and red peppers

How to Cook With Ramps

All parts of the ramp can be eaten. The leaves can be enjoyed raw or cooked. There are many ways to prepare the flavorful, pungent greens and bulbs. Steamed, sauteed, baked broiled as stand alone entrees or added to salads, soups, casseroles, stews, and even cornbread.

Cooking Ramp Greens

Use ramp greens similarly to how you’d prepare your favorite greens like chard, kale and spinach.

Cooking Ramp Bulbs

Ramps bulbs can be used in much the same way you’d use leeks and green or spring onions.

Basically, any manner in which spring onions and greens are consumed, ramps can be substituted. Here’s a sampling of ramp recipes and also a ramps recipes cookbook.

Ramps Recipe — AKA — Wild Leeks Recipe

Ramps – Wild Leeks – Calligraphy Art, Recipe and Information by Martha Stevens Grow

We love Martha Grow’s calligraphy art, and so appreciate her letting us share her lovely and clever ramps creation. She’s managed to sum up ramps beautifully, including a baked wild leeks recipe as well as a list of ways to prepare them.

Where to Buy Ramps Seeds and Bulbs

We bought our ramp bulb from Wild West Virginia Ramps. Below is an extensive listing of ramp sources for seed and bulbs but out by the NCSU.

Sources for Ramp Seed and Bulbs

REFERENCE: Jeanine M. Davis
Department of Horticultural Science
North Carolina State University^[1]https://newcropsorganics.ces.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/sources.pdf?fwd=no

Where to Buy Ramps?

You can buy Ramps to plant and to eat from sellers on Amazon, and also scan this list of some ramp vegetables sellers by state. So far we’ve purchased ours from the folks in West Virginia and in Vermont.

Ramps Sellers by State

Minnesota Ramp Vegetable Sellers

Prairie Moon Nursery (See their video below)
32115 Prairie Lane
Winona, MN 55987
Toll Free / 866-417-8156
Local / 507-452-1362
PrairieMoon.com

New Jersey Ramp Vegetable Sellers

Well-Sweep Herb Farm
Louise and David Hyde
200 Mt. Bethel Rd.
Port Murray, NJ 07865
908-852-5390
www.wellsweep.com

New York Ramp Vegetable Sellers

Sylvan Botanicals/American Ginseng
Sylva and Scott Harris
PO Box 91
Cooperstown, NY 13326
607-264-3984
wildginseng@pronetisp.net
www.catskillginseng.com

North Carolina Ramp Vegetable Sellers

Elk Mountain Nursery
Craig Mailloux
PO Box 599
Asheville, NC 28802
828-683-9330
craig@elk-mountain.com
www.elk-mountain.com

Mountain Gardens
Joe Hollis
546 Shuford Creek Rd.
Burnsville, NC 28714
828-675-5664
joehollis@excite.com
www.mountaingardensherbs.com

Sandy Mush Herb Nursery
Fairman and Kate Jayne
316 Surrett Cove Road
Leicester, NC 28747-5517
828-683-2014
info@sandymushherbs.com
www.sandymushherbs.com

Virginia Ramp Vegetable Sellers

Garden Medicinals and Culinaries
Jeff McCormack
PO Box 320
Earlysville, VA 22936
434-964-9113
www.gardenmedicinals.com

West Virginia Ramp Vegetable Sellers

Ramp Farm Specialities
Glen Facemire, Jr.
PO Box 48
Richwood, WV 26261
304-846-4235
rampfarm@wirefire.com
www.rampfarm.com

Vermont Ramp Vegetable Sellers

Gates Hill Farm
3885 N Sheldon Rd
Franklin, VT 05457
802-829-0212 Call or Text

Ramps Vegetable Research

The North Carolina State University via their Horticultural Extension services, has been researching cultivation of ramps for over twenty years. The US Department of Agriculture US Forest Service has also performed in depth studies of ramps in the wild, their habitat, and the impacts of harvests by local community organizations and individuals.

Both organizations are now solidly behind promoting the cultivation of ramp crops as a remedy for declining populations of ramps in the wild.

Cover image is by Appalachian Sustainable Development organization focused on establishing and supporting agroforestry. You can see more in their PDF on ramps.

The wonderful feature image at the top of this page of ramps – AKA wild leeks — in the woods is by Fungus Guy from Creative Commons.

Finding Ramps in the Woods

Here’s a good video by Prairie Moon Nursery on finding and identifying ramps in the woods.

For another special wild spring crop, you may be interested in our article on the mayapple plant and fruit.

We’d love to hear how it’s going for you if you’re growing ramps vegetables.