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Wild leek

21 years ago

Found a seed pod growing in my woods this fall that so far as my research goes may be wild leek. Does anyone know anything about this plant? I am in East Central Minnesota, deciduous woodland with heavy clay soil.

Linda

Comments (3)

  • 21 years ago

    Ramps (Allium tricocca). The seeds are round and black. They usually have fallen off by now. They sit in the remains of the inflourescence on top of about a twelve inch stalk. I grow them in moist woodland soil. I've only seen them in the wild where there is some dampness. Have not seen them in heavy clay. Where there is one there are usually MANY.

    You'll know in April when they come up around the same time as the morels, eat both in scrambled eggs with butter!

  • 21 years ago

    Here's an interesting website I just googled that gives better info than what I was able to provide. It also shows the seed heads in detail.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Ramps

  • 21 years ago

    Hi Linda, I have some wild leek seeds if you would like some. Not a whole lot as I sowed most of what I have, but a few would give your nice fresh seeds in a year or two, to grow more (that is how I usually get natives-grow enough to get fresh seeds from). Email me if you want them. I did see them on some list or another of restricted of habitat or "special concern" lists (can never keep them all staight) here in the north east.

    Trying to think of what comes in a pod. Is it long or round? Perhaps marking the spot and seeing mommy next spring or summer is your best bet, but off the top of my head vetches will grow nearly anywhere I think and they get like mini pea pods. There are wild Phlox Panticula that the garden varieties were bred from and they have round pods that contain many seeds. There are "lesser lobelias" (too lazy to go get names from the book but they have like spikes of teeny blue flowers and are in the lobelia family) that also get round pods with much smaller seeds inside. Oh let's see-gentians have pods but having broken mine open I dont remember what shape.

    I find that age of a forest is often more telling than soil type to some degree, as plants are opportunists and given enough time, they will oftem grow in places the books advise them not to *grin*. Perhaps they are dyslexic. I see tons of wetland/moist woods plants in rocky dry mountain/hills. So if your woods is young look for plants that are fast movers for the parentage of your pod. If it is an old woods look for plants that take advantage of the top layers of leaf mold and lack of competition that may not be fast movers or growers but are stubborn enough to hang on where the faint of leaf dare not grow.

    Good luck,
    Laurette

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