Camassia quamash
Family: Liliaceae
Herbaceous blue-flowered perennial, bulbous. Native to British
Columbia, the American Pacific Northwest, Montana and Wyoming. This
plant was a major foodstuff of the Native Americans living within its range.
The bulbs were roasted in pits, providing a sweet and nutritious staple
food. There are vague references in the ethnographic literature to
the medicinal use of Blue Camas, but it appears that the specific applications
have been lost and forgotten. This is not the white-flowered Camas
(Zigadenus spp.), also known as “Death Camas,” which should
never
be eaten. Cultivation: Extra care. Multi-cycle
germinator. Cold conditioning is required. Sow in fall, midwinter
or very early spring, after which germination occurs as the ground warms
up. Plant 6 inches apart. Prefers moist garden soil or meadowland
that is moist in the spring and dries out in the summer. Flowers
blue, to 20 inches tall.
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