Camas, Wild Hyacinth, Camass, Quamash, Leichtlin’s Camass, Camassia leichtlinii, Camassia cusickii, Camassia quamash
Add native charm to your garden with Camas. Vibrant star-shaped flowers in various colors bloom on elegant stems, creating a captivating and eco-friendly display.
Camassia is native to North America, with a range extending from Canada’s British Columbia to as far south as California and eastward to the Great Plains.
Description: Camassia is a perennial bulbous plant, characterized by its tall, straight stems and attractive, star-shaped flowers. The plants produce racemes of flowers that open sequentially from bottom to top, providing a prolonged bloom period.
Growth Habit and Size: Camassia grows from a bulb and forms clumps of tall, upright stems, reaching heights between 1 to 3 feet (30-90 cm) depending on the species and variety. Camas naturalize easily and come back year after year. Over time, it can slowly spread to form large colonies if conditions are right.
Flowers: The flowers of Camassia are its most striking feature. Each stem produces a long, elegant spike of up to 100 star-shaped flowers adorned with six slender loose petals, a green center, and bright yellow stamens. The flowers vary from pale lilac or white to deep purple or blue-violet.
Foliage: The foliage of Camassia is slender, grass-like, and bright green, providing a beautiful contrast to the tall, upright flower spikes.
Blooming Season: Camassia typically blooms in late spring to early summer, filling a gap between the spring bulbs and summer perennials.
Hardiness: Camassia is a hardy plant, tolerating winter temperatures in USDA hardiness zones 3 through 8.
Uses: Camassia is versatile and can be used in a variety of settings. It’s beautiful in meadow gardens, woodland borders, and alongside ponds or streams. They also work well in cottage gardens and mixed borders.
Pollinators: Camassia is an excellent plant for attracting bees and other pollinators, making it a beneficial addition to a wildlife-friendly garden.
Toxicity: Unlike some bulbous plants, camassia is not known to be toxic to humans or pets. Camassia species are edible and nutritious plants. They were a food staple for Indigenous peoples and settlers in the American Old West.
Deer and Rabbit Resistance: Camassia is typically resistant to deer and rabbits, making it a good choice in areas where these creatures are common.
Drought Tolerance: Once established, Camassia is fairly drought-tolerant in summer (when it goes dormant), making it a suitable choice for xeriscaping or low-water gardens.
Invasiveness: Camassia is not considered invasive. It can slowly spread to form large colonies but is generally not aggressive or problematic.
Growing Camas (Camassia) can offer several benefits to your garden:
Fills Blooming Gap: Camas blooms in late spring to early summer, a time when many spring bulbs have finished blooming but summer perennials have yet to start. This makes it an excellent choice for maintaining continuous color in your garden.
Attracts Pollinators: The starry flowers of Camas are known to attract bees and other beneficial pollinators, making it a great addition to a wildlife-friendly garden.
Low Maintenance: Once established, Camas is relatively low maintenance. It’s also deer and rabbit resistant, which means it’s less likely to be damaged by these common garden pests.
Versatility: Camas can be used in a variety of settings, including meadow gardens, woodland borders, and alongside ponds or streams. It’s also a great addition to cottage gardens and mixed borders.
Naturalizes Well: Over time, Camas can slowly spread to form large colonies, creating a beautiful, naturalized look.
Non-Toxic: Unlike some bulbous plants, Camas is not known to be toxic to humans or pets, making it a safer choice if you have children or animals who spend time in your garden.
Given these benefits, if you’re looking for an attractive, low-maintenance plant that can bring late spring color and attract pollinators, Camas could be a great choice for your garden.
Hardiness |
3 - 8 |
---|---|
Heat Zones |
1 - 8 |
Climate Zones | 1, 1A, 1B, 2, 2A, 2B, 3, 3A, 3B, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17 |
Plant Type | Bulbs, Perennials |
Genus | Camassia |
Exposure | Full Sun, Partial Sun |
Season of Interest |
Spring (Late) Summer (Early) |
Height |
1' - 3' (30cm - 90cm) |
Maintenance | Low |
Water Needs | Average |
Soil Type | Chalk, Loam, Sand |
Soil pH | Acid, Alkaline, Neutral |
Soil Drainage | Moist but Well-Drained |
Characteristics | Cut Flowers, Showy |
Native Plants | Alabama, Arkansas, California, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Midwest, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, North Carolina, Northeast, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pacific Northwest, Pennsylvania, Rocky Mountains, South Carolina, Southeast, Southwest, Tennessee, Texas, United States, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming |
Tolerance | Deer, Rabbit |
Attracts | Bees |
Landscaping Ideas | Banks And Slopes, Beds And Borders, Underplanting Roses And Shrubs |
Garden Styles | Informal and Cottage, Prairie and Meadow |
Hardiness |
3 - 8 |
---|---|
Heat Zones |
1 - 8 |
Climate Zones | 1, 1A, 1B, 2, 2A, 2B, 3, 3A, 3B, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17 |
Plant Type | Bulbs, Perennials |
Genus | Camassia |
Exposure | Full Sun, Partial Sun |
Season of Interest |
Spring (Late) Summer (Early) |
Height |
1' - 3' (30cm - 90cm) |
Maintenance | Low |
Water Needs | Average |
Soil Type | Chalk, Loam, Sand |
Soil pH | Acid, Alkaline, Neutral |
Soil Drainage | Moist but Well-Drained |
Characteristics | Cut Flowers, Showy |
Native Plants | Alabama, Arkansas, California, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Midwest, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, North Carolina, Northeast, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pacific Northwest, Pennsylvania, Rocky Mountains, South Carolina, Southeast, Southwest, Tennessee, Texas, United States, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming |
Tolerance | Deer, Rabbit |
Attracts | Bees |
Landscaping Ideas | Banks And Slopes, Beds And Borders, Underplanting Roses And Shrubs |
Garden Styles | Informal and Cottage, Prairie and Meadow |
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Create a membership account to save your garden designs and to view them on any device.
Becoming a contributing member of Gardenia is easy and can be done in just a few minutes. If you provide us with your name, email address and the payment of a modest $25 annual membership fee, you will become a full member, enabling you to design and save up to 25 of your garden design ideas.
Join now and start creating your dream garden!