How to Find Wild Leeks
Each spring, many hardwood forest floors and moist flat lands come to life with the sudden appearance of the bright green, sword-shaped leaves of wild leeks. These wild, fragrant patches appear in early spring in the Eastern states and Appalachian Mountains, when the forest canopy and underbrush aren't yet in bud, and the surrounding ground is still covered with brown leaf detritus. The onion-flavored wild leeks, also called ramps, are prized for their tender green shoots and the small white bulbs. By June, the foliage dies away, leaving a thin white-flowered stem that's difficult to see in the lush underbrush.
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Instructions
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Choose a sunny, dry early spring day to conduct your search for wild leeks. Ideally, the ground in the woods will be free of snow, but still brown and dry with winter kill.
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Use binoculars to survey open forests and woods. Be careful to observe "no trespassing" signs and private property warnings.
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Look for moist soil in forested, shady areas and near small streams and woodland creeks. Wild leeks will appear in green patches with narrow, green leaves that will smell of onion when crushed.
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Observe whether the plant has two to three sword-shaped leaves that are not attached to any stem. Wild leek foliage will appear to spring directly out of the ground.
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Dislodge a plant that you suspect may be a wild leek. Gently press a garden spade into the earth about an inch from the base of the foliage. Wild leek leaves will be distinctly purple near the base, where they attach to the fragrant white leek bulb.
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Identify wild leeks by their purplish, thin stems topped by tiny white flowers in summer. By summer, the wild leek's green foliage has faded away.
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Tips & Warnings
Keep track of wild leek hunting grounds by counting steps from a landmark tree, bush or stream. Tag a nearby tree or bush with a bright red or orange scarf or glove to help you identify the general direction when you're scanning the forest from a distance.
Take care to harvest wild leeks conservatively. Never harvest an entire patch. Leave plenty of bulbs to multiply and restore the vegetables you harvested.
