Wood Leek, Ramp
Allium tricoccum
Family: Alliaceae
What it is like
Allium tricoccum is a BULB growing to 0.3 m (1ft) by 0.2 m (0ft 8in). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 6 and is not frost tender. It is in leaf from March to June, in flower from June to July. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Bees, insects. Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland). It prefers moist soil.
Height (m): 0.3
Where it is found
Rich woods and bottoms, preferring slopes and streamsides. Usually in beech and maple woods.
Eastern N. America - Quebec, south to Virginia and Iowa.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 4
Bulb - raw or cooked. An early Spring vegetables. Used mainly as a flavouring in salads and savoury dishes. This is one of the best N. American wild species for sweetness and flavour. A mild sweet flavour, resembling leeks. The bulb is rather small, it is up to 12mm wide and 50mm tall and is produced in clusters on a rhizome. Leaves - raw or cooked. The unfolding leaves in spring have a mild sweet flavour, resembling leeks. Flowers - raw. Used as a garnish on salads. A hot onion flavour.
Root: includes bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes etc.
Medicine
Rating: 2
This species probably has most of the medicinal virtues of garlic (Allium sativum) but in a milder form. Traditionally the leaves were used in the treatment of colds and croup, and also as a spring tonic. The warm juice of the leaves and bulb was used externally in the treatment of earaches. A strong decoction of the root is emetic.
Emetic: Induces vomiting.
Other
Rating: 3
The juice of the plant is used as a moth repellent. The whole plant is said to repel insects and moles. A good shade plant. Tolerates Juglone (a substance produced by a plant to stunt the growth of another plant).
Companion: Companion planting is the careful placement of plants (especially vegetables and herbs) which have been shown to have beneficial effects on one another.
Repellent: Plants that are said to deter but not necessarily kill various mammals, birds, insects etc.
Food Forest: Plants for Edible Forest Gardens and Food Forests.
How it is grown
Prefers a sunny position in a light well-drained soil. Grows well in light moist woodland, where the plant forms large clumps and can become invasive. It is probably best grown in the wild garden. Plants are hardy to at least -15°c. The bulbs should be planted fairly deeply. The leaves die down in early summer before the flowers have fully opened. Grows well with most plants, especially roses, carrots, beet and chamomile, but it inhibits the growth of legumes. This plant is a bad companion for alfalfa, each species negatively affecting the other. Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer. For polyculture design as well as the above-ground architecture (form - tree, shrub etc. and size shown above) information on the habit and root pattern is also useful and given here if available. The plant growth habit is a clumper with limited spread. Ephemeral emerging in spring and dying back by summer every year . The root pattern is a bulb.
Propagating it: Seed - sow spring in a cold frame. The seed usually germinates within 12 months, but only makes a root and a small bulb in its first year of growth. Top growth is not produced until the second spring. It is quite possible that if the seed can be sown when it is ripe in early summer, or in the autumn, then this will speed up germination times. Sow the seed thinly in the pots so that the young seedlings can be allowed to grow on undisturbed for their first two years. Apply a liquid feed once a month during the growing season to ensure they do not suffer from mineral deficiency. When the plants are dormant at the end of their second years growth, divide them so that there are 2 - 3 small bulbs in each pot. Grow them on for a further year in the greenhouse and then plant them out when they are dormant. Division in spring. Very easy, the divisions can be planted straight out into their permanent positions if required.
Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Dappled Shade; Cultivated Beds;
Habit: Bulb
Hardiness: 5-9
Growth:
Soil: Light (sandy), medium
Shade: Semi-shade
Moisture: Moist
Things to keep in mind
Although no individual reports regarding this species have been seen, there have been cases of poisoning caused by the consumption, in very large quantities and by some mammals, of certain members of this genus. Dogs seem to be particularly susceptible.
Its other names
Local names
Wild Leek, Wood Leek, Ramp.