Camas Lily Bulbs

Camassia or camas lily is a beautiful native spring flowering bulb.

Camas lily bulbs. Camas are a great plant to naturalize in your garden. It grows in the wild in great numbers in moist meadows. They grow to a height of 12 to 50 inches with a multi flowered stem rising above the main plant in summer. Camassia esculenta is a beautiful spring blooming native north american plant that will grow in usda plant hardiness zones 3 8.

They are perennial plants with basal linear leaves measuring 8 to 32 inches in length which emerge early in the spring. Camassia is a genus of plants in the asparagus family native to western north america. Camas lily zone 4 8 height 18 24 inches bloom time late spring to early summer light requirements full sun ship as 6 8 cm bulb. Common names include camas quamash indian hyacinth camash and wild hyacinth.

Common camas is a stunning and iconic northwest wildflower with a sweet edible bulb and blue purple flowers. Plant in meadows open woodlands and in groups for showy results. It produces blue star shaped flowers from a tall spiky stem. Appreciates moist fertile and acidic soil in full sun to part shade.

It would be a beautiful combination. Delicate sky blue blooms add charm in late spring and early summer. A great place to see camassia in its native habitat is at the camassia natural area. If you ve already tossed narcissus bulbs hither and yon to naturalize an area of your landscape consider adding the native camas into the mix.

Common camas flowers by mid may setting seed and then going dormant into it s underground bulb until emerging the next spring. The six petaled flowers vary in color from pale. Plant in full sun to partial shade. Native americans used camas lily extensively for medicinal purposes and as a staple food source.

The camassia lily bulb camassia quamash syn. Grows 18 24 tall with 36 scapes. A prolific bloomer this easy to grow north american native looks impressive when planted en masse. First documented by lewis and clark in the cascade mountains where the bulb was an important food plant for the native americans this lovely wildflower is very cold hardy and long lived.

Camas lilies consider the liles of the field the blue banks of camas opening into acres of sky along the road. Camas lily is a lovely native bulb species that blooms in late spring with clear blue flowers. Camassia comes back year after year and is deer resistant.