Vivacious Veratrum

by Barry Glick

Maybe because I used to enjoy playing in the mud when I was a little tyke, but something attracted me to Veratrum right away and I’m really glad that it did. I remember vividly that when I first moved from the streets of Philadelphia to the wild mountains of Greenbrier County WV in 1972, the local folks were insane about an early spring green called “Ramps”. “Ramps”, known to plant nerds as Allium tricoccum, are a local delicacy here in Appalachia. They were described to us “hippie homesteaders” as a blend of Onions and Garlic, which turned out to be a pretty good analogy. Actually, they’re considered wild Leeks. So, if this here story is about something called Veratrum, why am I rambling on about “Ramps”?

Well………..that’s how I accidentally discovered Veratrum. You see, it’s all about the timing! When you go a diggin’ “Ramps” in the early spring, nothing but the Symplocarpus foetidus, “Skunk Cabbage”, is up. You have to rummage through the leaves to find the tips of the “Ramp” bulbs sticking up a bit. I was told that one of the best places to dig “Ramps” was a short drive up the mountain to the Williams River.

The banks of the Williams River are rich and moist, a perfect place for lots of really cool plants like Kalmia, Amianthium, “Ramps” and the like. Brushing away the leaves, I plunged my trowel into the black, ancient soil and immediately struck the tip of what I thought was a patch of “Ramps”. I kept digging around the patch, it seemed like what I actually struck was a clump of “Ramps” on steroids, HUGE!!!

I immediately knew that the fist sized bulbs weren’t “Ramps”, but they were fascinating and since there was no Internet yet, I couldn’t Google them. After consulting with several folks in the area that were knowledgeable on all things of nature, I came to the consensus that they were Veratrum viride aka “False Green Hellebores” Of course they weren’t the Hellebores of today’s gardens, but the common name was agreed on by all and still holds today.

Not only that, but the original bulb that I found almost 50 years ago was planted in somewhat of an average area moisture-wise in my garden, unlike the rich moist area that I found the bulb in and certainly not the wet, boggy, mucky type of situation that they’re really at home in and it has thrived magnificently! There are now almost a dozen bulbs in the clump. It doesn’t reach the heights of close to 6 feet tall that it does in a wet area, but it does flower in average moisture. The flowers are quite unique and the plant is easy to grow from seed, but takes many years to reach maturity.

Veratrum was formerly in the Liliaceae family, but has since been moved to Melanthiaceae family.

There’s a couple related species of Veratrum in Europe and Asia, Veratrum nigrum and Veratrum album and a species in California, Veratrum californicum.

Another favorite of mine is Veratrum parviflorum, a close relation to Veratrum viride, but much smaller in stature with olive green, starry flowers in bunches. In fact the common name for this plant is “Appalachian Bunchflower”. It tends to grow in drier soils.

Veratrum viride has been used by Native Americans for a multitude of ailments, but I wouldn’t recommend trying it on your own, because some of the alkaloids present can be toxic. Don’t let that scare you away from growing it in your garden, it appears that you’d have to eat a bunch to get a belly ache and besides, it doesn’t taste very good, don’t ask me how I know that :-)

If you’re looking for something tall to make a statement in your garden, this is the plant for you, as I said, it does very well in average shade, but…..”The wetter the better”.

Seems like some of my best finds, still to this day, are accidental.

Has that ever happened to you, when you go out looking for one treasure and find another, something that you’ve yet to discover?  I hope that this happens as frequently to you as it does to me. If the magic of discovery hasn’t yet occurred in your life,  get out there and start exploring.

Barry Glick, a transplanted Philadelphian, has been residing in Greenbrier County, WV,since 1972. His mountaintop garden and nursery is a mecca for gardeners from virtually every country in the world. He writes and lectures extensively about native plants and Hellebores, his two main specialties, and welcomes visitors with advance notice. He can be reached at barry@sunfarm.com, www.sunfarm.com, or 304.497.2208