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Allium tricoccum

Common name:	Wood Leek	Family:	Alliaceae
Author:	Aiton.	Botanical references:	43, 200
Synonyms:
Known Hazards:	Although no individual reports regarding this species have been seen, there have been cases of poisoning caused by the consumption, in very large quantities and by some mammals, of certain members of this genus. Dogs seem to be particularly susceptible[76].
Range:	Eastern N. America - Quebec, south to Virginia and Iowa.
Habitat:	Rich woods and bottoms, preferring slopes and streamsides[43]. Usually in beech and maple woods[159].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	4	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	2

Other Possible Synonyms:	From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below.
	Validallium tricoccum[B,P]
Other Common Names:	From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below.
	Ramp [B], Wild Leek [P,H,L],
Epithets:	From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets
	tricoccum = something with three seeds

Physical Characteristics

Bulb growing to 0.3m by 0.2m . It is hardy to zone 6 and is not frost tender. It is in leaf from March to June, in flower from June to July. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Bees and insects. We rate it 4/5 for edibility and 2/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland). It requires moist soil.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Woodland, Cultivated Beds, Dappled Shade.

Edible Uses

Flowers Leaves Root.

Bulb - raw or cooked[46, 61, 159]. Used mainly as a flavouring in salads and savoury dishes[238]. This is one of the best N. American wild species for sweetness and flavour[95]. A mild sweet flavour, resembling leeks[183]. The bulb is rather small, it is up to 12mm wide and 50mm tall[235] and is produced in clusters on a rhizome[200].
Leaves - raw or cooked[62]. The unfolding leaves in spring have a mild sweet flavour, resembling leeks[183].
Flowers - raw. Used as a garnish on salads. A hot onion flavour[K].

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

Emetic.

This species probably has most of the medicinal virtues of garlic (Allium sativum) but in a milder form[222, 238]. Traditionally the leaves were used in the treatment of colds and croup, and also as a spring tonic[222, 238].
The warm juice of the leaves and bulb was used externally in the treatment of earaches[222, 238].
A strong decoction of the root is emetic[222].

Other Uses

Repellent.

The juice of the plant is used as a moth repellent. The whole plant is said to repel insects and moles[20].

Cultivation details

Prefers a sunny position in a light well-drained soil[1]. Grows well in light moist woodland, where the plant forms large clumps and can become invasive[203, 235]. It is probably best grown in the wild garden[203].
Plants are hardy to at least -15° c[238].
The bulbs should be planted fairly deeply[1]. The leaves die down in early summer before the flowers have fully opened.
Grows well with most plants, especially roses, carrots, beet and chamomile, but it inhibits the growth of legumes[18, 20, 54]. This plant is a bad companion for alfalfa, each species negatively affecting the other[201].
Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer[233].

Propagation

Seed - sow spring in a cold frame. The seed usually germinates within 12 months, but only makes a root and a small bulb in its first year of growth. Top growth is not produced until the second spring[K]. It is quite possible that if the seed can be sown when it is ripe in early summer, or in the autumn, then this will speed up germination times[K]. Sow the seed thinly in the pots so that the young seedlings can be allowed to grow on undisturbed for their first two years. Apply a liquid feed once a month during the growing season to ensure they do not suffer from mineral deficiency. When the plants are dormant at the end of their second years growth, divide them so that there are 2 - 3 small bulbs in each pot. Grow them on for a further year in the greenhouse and then plant them out when they are dormant.
Division in spring. Very easy, the divisions can be planted straight out into their permanent positions if required.

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

Web References

[H] Details of Scandanavian and European Common names in Henriette's names database
[B] Data (Latin & Common names, other references) from the BONAP's Synonymized Checklist of the Vascular Flora of the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[P] Data. (uses, distribution, wetland) from the USDA'a Plants database.
[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[K] Ken Fern
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[18] Philbrick H. and Gregg R. B. Companion Plants. Watkins 1979
Details of beneficial and antagonistic relationships between neighbouring plants.

[20] Riotte. L. Companion Planting for Successful Gardening. Garden Way, Vermont, USA. 1978 ISBN 0-88266-064-0
Fairly good.

[43] Fernald. M. L. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co. 1950
A bit dated but good and concise flora of the eastern part of N. America.

[46] Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.

[54] Hatfield. A. W. How to Enjoy your Weeds. Frederick Muller Ltd 1977 ISBN 0-584-10141-4
Interesting reading.

[61] Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974 ISBN 0094579202
Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.

[62] Elias. T. and Dykeman. P. A Field Guide to N. American Edible Wild Plants. Van Nostrand Reinhold 1982 ISBN 0442222009
Very readable.

[76] Cooper. M. and Johnson. A. Poisonous Plants in Britain and their Effects on Animals and Man. HMSO 1984 ISBN 0112425291
Concentrates mainly on the effects of poisonous plants to livestock.

[95] Saunders. C. F. Edible and Useful Wild Plants of the United States and Canada. Dover Publications 1976 ISBN 0-486-23310-3
Useful wild plants of America. A pocket guide.

[159] McPherson. A. and S. Wild Food Plants of Indiana. Indiana University Press 1977 ISBN 0-253-28925-4
A nice pocket guide to this region of America.

[183] Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[201] Allardice.P. A - Z of Companion Planting. Cassell Publishers Ltd. 1993 ISBN 0-304-34324-2
A well produced and very readable book.

[203] Davies. D. Alliums. The Ornamental Onions. Batsford 1992 ISBN 0-7134-7030-5
Covers about 200 species of Alliums. A very short section on their uses, good details of their cultivation needs.

[222] Foster. S. & Duke. J. A. A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants. Eastern and Central N. America. Houghton Mifflin Co. 1990 ISBN 0395467225
A concise book dealing with almost 500 species. A line drawing of each plant is included plus colour photographs of about 100 species. Very good as a field guide, it only gives brief details about the plants medicinal properties.

[233] Thomas. G. S. Perennial Garden Plants J. M. Dent & Sons, London. 1990 ISBN 0 460 86048 8
A concise guide to a wide range of perennials. Lots of cultivation guides, very little on plant uses.

[235] Britton. N. L. Brown. A. An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada Dover Publications. New York. 1970 ISBN 0-486-22642-5
Reprint of a 1913 Flora, but still a very useful book.

[238] Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995 ISBN 0-7513-020-31
A very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant.

Readers Comments

Allium tricoccum

John H. McKinney (e.s.mckinney@worldnet.att.net) Tue Apr 17 12:56:13 2001

Recently I discovered the data base PFAF. I have been trying to find a data base on plants for some time without success. Although I am trying to learn all I can on Alliums I am at the present time concentrating on Allium tricoccum and its varieties.

Your data base lists the species as a hermaphrodite plant. This would indicate that the plant can only be Propagated by seed only. I know that this plant can be propagated by bulbs or cloves as well. Each matured plant will produce at least 3 cloves or bulbs. I also have been told that propagation can also be accomplished by just planting the roots. (This I have yet to try.)

Since there are at least two recognized species of Allium tricoccum and the plant can be propagated by seeds, it is possible to have several varieties. This is based on the fact that since the plant can be propagated by bulbs, this method would product the true species. Propagation by seed could and would produce varieties. Nothing can be found to verify this. Since this plant can be propagated by bulbs, would this change or make a difference in the superdivision?

Also you data base shows a photo of Allium kochii but a write up is missing. Did find where I believe this species is a var of Allium vineale. This is also a puzzlement as most books only indicate that the crow garlic is only Allium vineale. The data base also shows a photo of Allium navadense but no write up. Is there a complete listing and description of the Allium species. If so where would one find it?

As a whole I have found the data base very informative and believe it will be a useful tool.

Any additional information that you can supply me on the Allium species would be deeply appreciated.

Cross references: Plants: Allium kochii, Allium vineale.

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