# wide leek (*Allium tricoccum*) Wide leeks are tasty plants that grow in the woods. They have long, green leaves and a strong oniony flavor. People love to use them in cooking for their yummy taste! - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 17 - **Habitat:** Forests - **Also known as:** Ramps ![wide leek](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Wild_leeks_%28Whitefish_I%29_1.JPG&width=800) Photo: Fungus Guy, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Wild_leeks_%28Whitefish_I%29_1.JPG) ## Appearance The wide leek has broad, smooth, and shiny green leaves that typically grow in pairs. These leaves emerge from a reddish-purple base and taper to a point. Its small, star-shaped, whitish-green flowers cluster atop a single stalk. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Liliopsida - **Order:** Asparagales - **Family:** Amaryllidaceae - **Genus:** Allium ## Interesting facts - Finding wide leeks is a great sign of a healthy, undisturbed forest floor. - It contains unique sulfur compounds, making it related to garlic and onions. - Its broad leaves often disappear before its flowers even bloom! - This plant is sometimes called 'ramps,' especially in certain regions! ## Special abilities - **Spring's First Feast:** Wide leek can sprout very early, getting sunlight before forest trees grow leaves to survive and thrive. - **Pungent Protection:** It has a strong onion-garlic smell that helps deter some hungry animals from taking a bite. - **Underground Network:** Wide leek can grow new plants from its underground bulbs, creating patches of many leeks. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 20-50 cm - **Spread:** 10-20 cm - **Flower Size:** 0.5-1 cm - **Bloom Season:** Late spring to early summer - **Edible:** Yes - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Eats:** [Human](https://www.snappit.app/explore/human) (*Homo sapiens*) — Leaves and bulbs are a popular wild food. - **Eaten by:** [White-tailed Deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-tailed-deer) (*Odocoileus virginianus*) — Deer browse on the leaves, especially when young. - **Pollinates:** European Honey Bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Bees visit the flowers to collect nectar and pollen. ## Traits - [Aromatic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aromatic): Aromatic plants produce and emit fragrant volatile organic compounds, often for defense or to attract pollinators. - [Deciduous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/deciduous): Deciduous plants periodically shed all their leaves, typically during autumn or dry seasons. - [Grass-Like](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grass-like): Grass-like plants are herbaceous plants that visually resemble true grasses, typically having long, narrow leaves. - [Spring Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spring-blooming): Spring blooming plants produce their flowers during the spring season, often signifying the end of winter and the start of new growth. - [Edible](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/edible): Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption. - [Spice](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spice): This human use trait indicates species from which spices are derived, used for flavoring, preserving food, or as aromatic agents. - [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always ask an adult before picking or eating wild plants. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify wide leek? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is wide leek? 20-50 cm ### How wide does wide leek spread? 10-20 cm ### How big are the flowers on wide leek? 0.5-1 cm ### When does wide leek bloom? Late spring to early summer ### Is wide leek edible? Yes ### Is wide leek toxic? None ### What is wide leek's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Glen Haven](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/glen-haven) — Michigan, US · Historic District - [Assinins](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/assinins) — Michigan, US · Neighborhood - [Bayley Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bayley-historic-district) — New Hampshire, US · Historic District - [Beverly Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/beverly-historic-district) — West Virginia, US · Historic District - [Boston Aquarial and Zoological Gardens](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/boston-aquarial-and-zoological-gardens) — Massachusetts, US · Zoo - [Brookfield Common Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/brookfield-common-historic-district) — Massachusetts, US · Historic District [View all places to see wide leek](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/wide-leek) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Wide Leek: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/wide-leek)