Botanists call the plant by it's scientific name Allium tricoccum. It is an edible plant native to eastern North America, ranging from the rich, moist woodlands of Nova Scotia and southern Quebec, south through New England and the central Appalachian states, down into the cool upland portions of Georgia, and as far west as Iowa and Minnesota . A.ursinum , grows wild. The ramp is the first edible wild green plant that appears following the winter snows. Eventually growing 8 to 12 inches tall, these leaves show deep maroon streaking at the base and up along the parellel veins.
Ramps reproduce by both bulb offsets and seeds, and large colonies often blanket a hillside.
To the early Native Americans and, later, the pioneer rednecks living in the Appalachian Wilderness, ramps were an important and welcome addition to the spring menu. Studies have also linked these plants to increases in the production of high-density lipoproteins, which in turn are believed to combat heart disease by reducing levels of cholesterol in the blood. So, by following their instincts and tastebuds, these early mountain folk discovered a valuable nutritional supplement. Native Americans used ramps for medicinal purposes, to treat coughs and colds, and they made a poultice from the juice of the strong summer bulbs to alleviate the pain and itching of bee stings. The term was later applied to a white settlement there that is now known as Chicago.