Burdick's Wild Leek
Down past the
tangle of invasives
at the east end of the Marlene Path, the careful observer will discover
a rare but tasty herb spread across the forest floor. Burdick’s
Wild Leek is a relative of the well known Ramps --- very similar in
taste and growth form, just a bit smaller.
Like Ramps, the
little white bulbs of Burdick’s Wild Leek have served Appalachian folk
for centuries as the first fresh food to appear in the spring. In
our age of February tomatoes and year-round peaches, we quickly forget
that early settlers in our region made do with cornmeal and salt pork
for much of the winter. By March, they were desperate for
anything fresh and green to ward off scurvy and give their tastebuds a
break. Ramp festivals in places like Richwood, West Virginia, and
Whitetop Mountain here in southwest Virginia are remnants of the ramp
dinners Appalachian folks held to celebrate the return of fresh food
into their diets. Festival participants report that ramps taste
like garlic but smell even stronger, so that the scent of ramps tends
to linger for days after these festivals end.
Like Ginseng, Ramps are on
their way toward being loved to death. The small patches hidden
on Sugar Hill are probably remnants of much bigger populations, and we
request that visitors leave the Burdick’s Wild Leek patches alone to
grow back into their former glory.
Not
pictured:
Scientific
Name: Allium burdickii
Family:
Alliaceae (Onion Family)
Habitat:
moist woods
Blooms:
June to July
Rare:
G4G5 SU
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