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Hansen's Northwest Native Plant Database |
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Hansen's Northwest Native Plant Database |
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Camassia quamash (Common Camas, Indian
Hyacinth)
Kingdom Plantae – Plants Subkingdom Tracheobionta – Vascular plants Superdivision Spermatophyta – Seed plants Division Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants Class Liliopsida – Monocotyledons Subclass Liliidae Order Liliales Family Liliaceae – Lily family Genus Camassia Lindl. – camas Species Camassia quamash (Pursh) Greene – small camas Common Camas has several leaves, similar to those of the daffodil. The beautiful blue violet flowers are shaped like stars and grow along the 12-18" stem. Common Camas is found along the Pacific coast and east into Idaho. It is hardy between USDA zones 6-10. Native Western Americans relied on Camas for their sustenance and traveled great distances to attain it. The steamed bulbs are very sweet and were sometimes combined with Soapberry (Sheperdia canadensis) to sweeten that fruit. |
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Do take extreme care in tasting Camas as its deadly look-alike, Death Camas (Zigadenus Venenosus), often grows alongside it. Bulbs may be available from plant nurseries specializing in natives. |
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 PENAWEN - MOON OF THE CAMAS HARVEST (May) This moon is the moon of the camas harvest. It is time to dig KLO,EL (camas). The earth is warming. The camas bulb illustration is shown on the cheek of the moon and in the palm of his hand. The blue plant with the bulb underneath the ground is the whole camas plant. |
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Photo left by Robbie Giles. At right, photo by Ben Cody. |
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