Max Withers mentioned that he rarely sees ramps in grocery stores in Oakland, CA. Well, Max, lucky you. I've never seen them in grocery stores in this area, although each year articles about ramp festivals or ramp recipes appear in the local press. It grows in cool mountain forests in nearby West Virginia, and a few weeks ago I saw it (presumably introduced) growing in a northern Virginia park opposite Washington, D.C. well outside of its otherwise natural range. From a few yards away the foliage of the plants suggests an extremely robust Erythronium. I would say it has decorative value, although the foliage does not persist long in good condition. Evidently the local deer don't eat it - maybe it's just as well because ramp flavored venison might be really good. So if you don't like the look of it, you can dig it up and eat it. It's a cool plant, like so many other elements of our native flora virtually unknown in gardens. We had a discussion on this forum in the past about this species and what I presume is its European cognate, A. ursinum: both are called bear onions (or the equivalent in various languages; for instance, in German Allium ursinum is Bärenlauch). I’m ashamed to say that bear can still be legally hunted here in Maryland, and no doubt there have been bear and ramp roasts somewhere in the state recently. Jim McKenney jimmckenney@jimmckenney.com Montgomery County, Maryland, USA, 39.03871º North, 77.09829º West, USDA zone 7, where Romulea ligustica and Triteleia lemmoniae are blooming. My Virtual Maryland Garden http://www.jimmckenney.com/ BLOG! http://mcwort.blogspot.com/ Webmaster Potomac Valley Chapter, NARGS Editor PVC Bulletin http://www.pvcnargs.org/ Webmaster Potomac Lily Society http://www.potomaclilysociety.org/