Camassia is a tough spring-blooming bulb that deserves to be more widely known and grown.
Besides its eye-catching flowers, camassia has several other aesthetic and practical qualities that Gerdes appreciates.
Here’s why camassia should be a star in your garden too.
Credit:Grant Webster
Camassia is a native plant.
Unlike most popular spring-blooming bulbs such as tulips and daffodils, camassia is part of the North American ecosystem.
Thisbulb’s flowers are a valuable nectar source for early season pollinators.
Camassia grows equally well in average,well-drained soiland moist, somewhat heavy soil.
Most bulbs won’t do well in soil that stays moist during summer but camassia revels in the environment.
This is an especially great bulb for new home sites where the soil might be slow to drain.
Deer dont bother it.
Deer, rabbits, and other rodents bypass camassia.
Pair camassia withyellow or white daffodils, another deer resistant bulb, for more color.
Camassia multiplies and spreads over time to form colonies of springtime color.
Encourage it tonaturalize in a meadow gardenby planting bulbs 5 inches apart in groups of 10 or more.
Strappy, grasslike camassia foliage will rise in early spring before most other meadow plants.
The foliage plays a vital role in recharging the bulb and creating tiny offshoots.
Delay mowing or disturbing camassia foliage until it turns yellow.
In time the clump will multiply.
Standing 24 to 30 inches tall when in bloom, camassia rises above most daffodils and tulips.
The blue, purple, or white flower stalks are covered with dozens of star-shape blossoms.
“By planting different varieties, you might enjoy camassia blooms for about a month,” Gerdes says.
Pairs well with perennials.
Plant clusters of camassia alongsideperennials for a steady succession for flowers.
When camassia finishes flowering, nearby perennials will be ready to take over the bloom show.
For perennials that bloom at the same time as camassia, Gerdes recommendssalvias,veronicas, andlate-blooming alliums.
Springtime flower for cutting.
Long stems and long-lasting flowers make camassia a delightful cut flower.
The star-shaped flowers open sequentially from the bottom to the top of the stem.
Harvest flower stems when the first few blossoms are open.
The remaining flowers on the stalk will open over the next week in the vase.
Then camassia will naturally multiply without overcrowding, and continue flowering for decades where you have planted it.
