The Yorktown onion is not native to this country, but came from
the Old World. The scientific name of both our plants and those of the Old World is Allium
ampeloprasum. Allium is latin for garlic, while alpeloprasum means "leek of the vineyard".
Though the plant is always referred to as the Yorktown Onion here, there are several
other common names. In print it has been called wild onion, giant wild garlic, and wild
leek.
Our plant probably made its way to the New World, like many other plants, by accident.
Legend has it that the seeds came here during the Revolutionary War mixed with crop seeds
or fodder. Regardless of how it got here, it became firmly established as a wild plant in
what is now York County.
The Yorktown Onion is protected by law, as Section 17-35, Subsection B, of the York
County Code states that "Gathering or collecting the Yorktown Onion shall be prohibited".
