They erupt in April and are a perennial flowering plant in the amaryllis family. By erupt, that means they are very speedy growers when they break through the leaf litter. I was in the woods in Sullivan County last weekend and not even the tips of ramp plants were visible. But I know that by mid-April, they will have reached their maximum height of eight to ten inches per leaf.

The first time I saw a ramp, I thought someone had planted tulips in the woods because the leaves are so similar. And the leaves of both grow from bulbs. Each ramp bulb may send up five to six leaves, and bulbs tend to grow in clumps.

Ramps smell like garlic but offer more of an onion flavor.

Ramp bulbs look somewhat like spring onions but the leaves are wider and the bulbs larger. They can be sauteed in a stir fry in the same way as onions or garlic, or they can be pickled in vinegar and canned, for example.

PHOTO PROVIDED Shown is a ramp in this photo by Dede Metzger.

Because of a dark purplish color on the lower stem, they make a beautiful hue in the brine when pickled. They can be fried with potatoes or added to scrambled eggs. The leaves are also edible. Ramp butter can be made by adding chopped leaves to creamed butter.

Ramps are sometimes called leeks in our area. Local firehalls — in northern Sullivan County especially — hold annual ham and leek dinners as fundraisers, but they are really serving ramps. You won’t find ramps often on seasonal menus, but they have been featured on a couple menus in the Philadelphia area, and the Peter Herdic House will include them in April menu items.

Like other spring ephemerals, their leaves disappear into the forest floor later in the season. But then, in July-August, a glorious, round white flower erupts from each bulb. Several years ago, I was hiking the Loyalsock Trail near High Knob lookout.

As we came down a steep incline, what appeared to be a fairy forest came into view. This glorious scene turned out to be hundreds of ramps blooming on one hillside.

Ramps are finicky about soil requirements and need rich soils with moist ground in depressions or along stream sides. In isolated areas of Sullivan County, thousands can be seen, virtually covering hillsides. More often, just a few clusters appear randomly.

PHOTO PROVIDED Shown is a ramp in this photo by Dede Metzger.

But, as with other foraging treasures (think morels and cherished types of mushrooms), mum is the word about precise locations. Nonetheless, woodsy Shunk firemen know exactly where they are.