Skip to content
← Plant Database
Camas

Camas

Camassia quamash

perennial☀️ full sun💧💧💧 high waterZone 4aZone 9b

Camassia quamash is a spring-flowering bulb with striking blue-purple flower spikes that light up wet meadows and garden beds. Historically harvested and cultivated by Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest for its nutritious bulbs, it thrives in moist conditions and makes an excellent pollinator plant.

Overview

Form
Upright
Growth Rate
moderate
Size
1.5–2.3′ tall × 0.5–1′ wide
Dormancy
deciduous

Tolerances & Soil

Flood Tolerance

moderate
Zone 4aZone 9b
1471013
ColderWarmer
Zone range: Zone 4a to Zone 9b

pH Range

5.77
7.0
3.556.589
pH range: 5.7 to 7

Soil Texture

Coarse, Medium, Fine

Seasonality

Bloom Season

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Harvest Season

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Season of Interest

Spring

Herb

Soft non-woody plants of the field layer.

Succession Role

early successional

Native to the United States

Native Range

Pacific Northwest North America

Native to: California, Idaho, Oregon, Washington

Function & Care

ediblewildlife benefitpollinator nectary

Edible Parts

root

Establishment & Care

Establishment
easy
Maintenance
low
Years to Bearing
2 years
Propagation
seed, division