Camassia ("Quamash")

Beautiful and underutilized, this little known plant provides a wonderful vertical accent for the late spring/early summer garden. It is native to northwestern North America and was a food staple for Native Americans, who roasted the tubers as well as mashing them into a flour-like substance. In fact, the roots (bulbs) of this plant sustained Lewis & Clark in their explorations and without it they might not have survived their travels. We have the luxury of being able to grow this beautiful plant simply for its ornamental, rather than its food, value. There are a number of cultivars available, including 'Blue Danube' (pictured above), 'Caerulea' (lighter blue), SemiPlena (double white), and 'Sacagawea' (a lovely variegated foliage form, named in honor of the Shoshone woman who helped Lewis & Clark survive by teaching them to eat the root of the "Quamash"). All are hardy bulbs that will provide years of  color in the garden. They grow in nature along wet streambeds so will happily grow in moist or wet garden soil, although they are also tolerant of a fair amount of drought. They usually bloom in early June and shortly afterwards disappear into summer dormancy. The exception is the attractive 'Sacajawea' , whose variegated leaves remain throughout most of the growing season. Camassia are super-hardy and self-sow modestly so their numbers will slowly increase over the years. Hardy to Zone 4.