…until recently, ramps (Allium tricoccum) have been a fairytale. I went to Vermont for a trip and my friend showed me her ramps field, although it was summer and they’d all died back to flowers. Well, hiking in an undisclosed location in east Tennessee today, I saw this. I rubbed my fingers on it and… YEP, RAMPS. Further down the trail it got completely boombastic with them. This is a random trailhead off a main road, so I suspect I’ve got a good chance of snagging a respectable harvest next season. So exciting.
Neat! Ramps reproduce slowly, and tend to be uncommon in the South, so make sure to harvest responsibly.
Absolutely. I pulled two bulbs (I always take a new forage item home and study it before I harvest it for eating), and I planted them in my yard once I was done, maybe they’ll take and I’ll have my own supply in a few years. I’ll be sure to only harvest a small fraction of the field though, just what I can personally use.