Wild Edible Of The Week - Week 14 - "Ramsons"

Botanical name : Allium ursinum

Common names : Ramsoms, Buckrams, Wild Garlic, Wood Garlic, Bear Leek, Bear's Garlic

Physical appearance : A perennial with broad, spear shaped leaves and white, star like flowers. The plant grows to about 50cm in height. Similar to Blue Bells, this plant likes to carpet large swathes of land.

Edible parts : The leaves and stems.

Best places to find : Found in arable fields, waysides, damp woodlands and hedgebanks.

Time of year : Best gathered from April to June.

Serving suggestions : The leaves and stems can be chopped and used similarly to garlic or chives.

Other uses : Substitute for Basil in pesto.

Not to be confused with Lily of the Valley or Autumn Crocus which are both highly poisonous!

NB - Please be sure you know what you are picking. Many plants look similar to one another and many can be poisonous!  Please seek professional instruction if you are unsure! Don't risk your life!!!

Photos courtesy of Enrico Blasutto via This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported, 2.5 Generic, 2.0 Generic and 1.0 Generic license.