Allium ursinum

Wild Garlic Amaryllidaceae

Why wait for the supermarket to tell you when garlic season has arrived? Allium ursinum, our native Wild Garlic or Ramsons, has been flavouring spring for centuries, long before pesto became fashionable. The young leaves are delicious raw or cooked, with a fresh, unmistakably garlicky flavour, while the flowers and bulbs are also edible. It is particularly good in pesto, soups, salads, sauces and compound butter. Historically, ramsons were gathered as a spring vegetable and medicinal herb across Europe, and its long association with traditional rural remedies is recorded in European medicinal sources. (Grow Wild⁠)

A superb woodland plant, forming expansive carpets of broad green leaves before producing clouds of white, starry flowers in spring. Native across much of Europe, including Britain, it is a classic indicator of ancient woodland. Just remember: cultivate your own rather than raiding the nearest ancient wood.

Height: 20–45cm

Spread: 20–30cm