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Native Plant Database

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Camassia quamash (Small camas)
Bransford, W.D. and Dolphia

Camassia quamash (Pursh) Greene

Small camas, Common camass, Swamp sego

Liliaceae (Lily Family)

USDA Symbol: caqu2

USDA Native Status: Native to U.S.

A bulbous plant with basal clusters of narrow, grass-like, bright green leaves. The flowering racemes are 1-3 ft. tall with dozens of showy, star-like, sky- to deep-blue flowers. Light to deep blue-violet, star-shaped flowers in a raceme; several narrow, grass-like leaves grow mostly near the base. The three sepals and three petals all share the blue color.

This species is sometimes so frequent as to color entire meadows blue-violet. Indians pit-roasted the bland bulbs with other leaves, and also boiled them, which yielded a good syrup. Another similar species is Leichtlins Camas (C. leichtlinii), which grows only west of the Cascade Mountains, from southern British Columbia to the southern portion of Californias Sierra Nevada, and has radially symmetrical flowers.

 

From the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Leaf Complexity: Simple
Leaf: Green
Flower:
Fruit:
Size Class: 1-3 ft.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Blue
Bloom Time: Apr , May , Jun

Distribution

USA: CA , ID , MT , NV , OR , UT , WA , WY
Canada: BC
Native Distribution: B.C. to CA, e. to s.w. Alt., MT, WY & UT
Native Habitat: Moist areas, often where dry by late spring
USDA Native Status: L48(N), CAN(N)

Growing Conditions

Water Use: High
Light Requirement: Sun
Soil Moisture: Moist
CaCO3 Tolerance: Low
Soil Description: Heavy, winter- & spring-moist soils.
Conditions Comments: Camass eventually goes dormant and should then have less water, but not fully dry soil. Considered among the easiest of and showiest of native bulbs.

Benefit

Use Wildlife: Elk, deer & moose reportedly graze the plant in early spring.
Use Food: Bulb favored by indigenous peoples for food.
Conspicuous Flowers: yes

Value to Beneficial Insects

Special Value to Native Bees

This information was provided by the Pollinator Program at The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.

Propagation

Description: Propagate from offsets or seed. Sow seed in a sealable container and refrigerate for 3 months or until germination starts. Germination is often poor. Seedlings take 3-4 years to flower.
Seed Collection: Not Available
Seed Treatment: Not Available
Commercially Avail: yes

Find Seed or Plants

Find seed sources for this species at the Native Seed Network.

View propagation protocol from Native Plants Network.

Mr. Smarty Plants says

Native, non-invasive plant seeds for each region in U.S.
June 09, 2006
I need to identify a wildflower from each region that we can package in custom packaging to use as giveaways at our member zoos and aquariums. Our project this year is called Conservation Made Simple...
view the full question and answer

From the National Suppliers Directory

According to the inventory provided by Associate Suppliers, this plant is available at the following locations:

Oregon Native Plant Nursery - Woodburn, OR

From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is either on display or available from the following:

Native Seed Network - Corvallis, OR

Bibliography

Bibref 1218 - Tending the Wild: Native American Knowledge and the Management of California's Natural Resources (2006) Anderson, M. Kat

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Recommended Species Lists

Find native plant species by state. Each list contains commercially available species suitable for gardens and planned landscapes. Once you have selected a collection, you can browse the collection or search within it using the combination search.

View Recommended Species page

Additional resources

USDA: Find Camassia quamash in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Camassia quamash in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Camassia quamash

Metadata

Record Modified: 2008-10-19
Research By: TWC Staff

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