[6] In Devon, dairy farmers have occasionally had the milk of their herds rejected because of the garlic flavour imparted to it by the cows having grazed upon the plant.

[7] Allium ursinum is a bulbous, perennial herbaceous monocot, that reproduces primarily by seed.

[9][8][10] The flowers are star-like with six white tepals, about 16–20 mm (0.63–0.79 in) in diameter, with stamens shorter than the perianth.

[8] It flowers in the British Isles from April to June,[8] starting before deciduous trees leaf in the spring.

The flower stem is triangular in cross-section and the leaves are broadly lanceolate, similar to those of the toxic lily of the valley (Convallaria majalis).

In Europe, where ramsons are popularly harvested from the wild, people are regularly poisoned after mistakenly picking lily of the valley or Colchicum autumnale.

[citation needed] It is common in much of the lowlands of the British Isles with the exception of the far north of Scotland, Orkney and Shetland.

The leaves can be used as salad, herb,[19] boiled as a vegetable,[20] in soup, or as an ingredient for a sauce that may be a substitute for pesto in lieu of basil.

A variety of Cornish Yarg cheese has a rind coated in wild garlic leaves.

[citation needed] Popular dishes using the plant include pesto, soups, pasta, cheese, scones and Devonnaise.

[citation needed] The first evidence of the human use of A. ursinum comes from the Mesolithic settlement of Barkær (Denmark), where an impression of a leaf has been found.