Allium ursinum
ramsons
Overview
Allium ursinum is a bulbous perennial in the amaryllis family, growing 8-18 inches (20-45 cm) tall from a slender white bulb. Each bulb sends up two broad, lance-shaped basal leaves 4-10 inches (10-25 cm) long that smell strongly of garlic when bruised. In mid to late spring a leafless three-angled stalk carries a loose, flat-topped umbel of 6 to 20 white, star-shaped flowers, each about 0.6-0.8 inch (1.5-2 cm) across. The whole plant has a pungent garlic scent and is edible, with the leaves, flowers, and bulbs used in cooking. After flowering the leaves yellow and die back by early summer, and the plant spends the rest of the year dormant underground. Allium ursinum spreads by seed and by bulb offsets, often forming broad carpets across the floor of damp deciduous woods. It favors moist, shaded, humus-rich ground and is native to Europe and western Asia. In gardens it can naturalize widely and may need confining to keep it from overrunning other woodland plants.
Native Range
Allium ursinum is native to Europe and western Asia, from Britain and Scandinavia south to the Mediterranean and east to the Caucasus. It grows in damp deciduous woodland, often carpeting the ground in spring.Suggested Uses
Grown as a spring groundcover in shady, moist woodland gardens, along stream banks, and under deciduous trees and shrubs. The flowers draw bees and other early insects, and the leaves and bulbs are gathered for cooking. Its vigorous spread suits large naturalized areas rather than small, mixed beds where it can swamp neighbors.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height8" - 1'6"
Width/Spread6" - 1'
Bloom Information
Flowering occurs in mid to late spring, mainly April and May, with white star-shaped flowers in flat-topped clusters. The bloom lasts about three weeks before the leaves yellow. The plant then dies back underground until the following spring.
Detailed Descriptions
Foliage Description
bright greenGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 1-5 hours of direct sunlight daily
• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight
• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight
• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight
Care & Maintenance
Care Guide
Grow in part to full shade on moist, humus-rich, well-drained soil that does not dry out in spring. Established plants need little care and return each year from their bulbs. Dry, sunny, or impoverished sites cause weak growth and early dieback. The plant self-seeds freely and multiplies by offsets, so it spreads into broad drifts and can crowd smaller woodland plants. Lifting and dividing congested clumps after flowering keeps colonies in check. A mulch of leaf mold in autumn maintains the cool, moist conditions it needs.Pruning
No pruning is needed for this bulb. The leaves are left to yellow and die down naturally so the bulb can store energy for the next year. Spent flower heads are removed before seed sets where self-seeding is not wanted.Container Growing
✓ Suitable for container growing