Cool, Captivating Camassia | | |
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Camassia are captivating. Their starry, floret-studded racemes emerge just when we need them most: after the big spring bulb show, and before summer annuals hit their colorful strides. Camassia are magical, the stuff of garden dreams. They're beautiful in a serene, cool kind of way, and keep coming back with increasing vitality over the years.
Known as the Wild Hyacinth, Camass or Quamash, Camassia was native to the Pacific Northwest near mountain streams, and meadows with abundant summer rainfall circa 1800. Today, there is a treasure trove of Camassia cultivars and species commercially grown in the Netherlands. Originally in shades of blue or white, Camassia is now available in rare pale blue, pink and mauve. The 15" to 30" racemes stand above upright, sword-like foliage, and the star-shaped florets are accented with jewelry-like anthers.
Bee-loved Camassia is best grown in moist, fertile soil with full to partial sun. While it is more tolerant of moist soil than most bulbs, deer- and rodent-proof Camassia should still be planted a good 6" above any high water mark.
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Moisture-Tolerant Pacific NW Natives
Unlike most bulbs, Camassia prefers soil that has a bit more moisture. This stands to reason since it flourished as wild flowers in moisture-laden soil near streams in the plains and foothills west of the Cascade Mountains that enjoy beneficial spring and summer rains. Easy to grow and quite adaptable, Camassia also performs well in drier areas. They are best planted in substantive clusters, and never as soldiers in line-ups. As it matures over time, Camassia naturalizes by bulb offsets called bulbils: baby bulbs on the sides of the planted mother bulb. As if that weren't enough, Camassia also make excellent cutting flowers. (Please forgive us if any of these varieties are sold out when you visit our website. Our inventory position changes rapidly at this time of the season.)
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Camassia cusickii
C. cusickii forms clusters of strappy foliage around racemes of dozens of six-petaled, 2", star-shaped pale wisteria-blue flowers with yellow anthers and whisper-green centers. The flowers open from bottom to top. 24" to 30".
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C. cusickii Zwanenburg
This 1969 C. cusickii sport is deep wisteria-blue in dark contrast to its paler parent. Zwanenburg is best grown in moist, fertile soil in full sun to partial sunlight. Unlike most bulbs, it prefers soil that has a bit more moisture. 24" to 30".
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C. leichtlinii Alba
A selection out of C. leichtlinii, circa 1853, C. leichtlinii Alba forms clusters of strappy foliage around upright racemes of dozens of six-petaled, 2", star-shaped creamy-white flowers with mauve anthers and whisper-green centers.
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C. leichtlinii Aurora
This beautiful, rare new sport of Camassia leichtlinii is mauve-purple with a paler heart and a periwinkle-striped reverse. It reminds us of the magical dusky colors emanating from an aurora borealis. 24" to 30".
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C. leichtlinii Blue Heaven
A prized cross of Camassia cusickii and Camassia leichtlinii Caerulea, Blue Heaven is absolutely beautiful and a most rare color for the garden: pale sky-blue flowers with yellow anthers and whisper-green centers. 24" to 30".
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C. leichtlinii Caerulea
Deer- and rodent-resistant, Caerulea forms linear strappy foliage around upright racemes studded with dozens of six-petaled, 2", star-shaped pale to deep lavender-blue flowers with yellow anthers and green centers. 24" to 30".
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C. leichtlinii Pink Stars
The very first pink Camassia, long-lasting Pink Stars has star-shaped, pale pink florets studding strong upright spires. The flowers open sequentially from the bottom to the top. It's a gorgeous cut flower for spring bouquets. 24" to 30".
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C. leichtlinii Sacajawea
A sport of C. leichtlinii Caerulea, it yields upright racemes studded with dozens of six-petaled, 2", star-shaped, ivory-white flowers with ivory anthers. It has yellow-ivory marginated foliage. 24" to 30". Very limited.
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C. leichtlinii Semiplena
A selection out of C. leichtlinii, circa 1853, Semiplena forms clusters of linear, strappy foliage around upright racemes studded with dozens of six-petaled, 2", star-shaped creamy-white semi-double flowers with yellow anthers. 24" to 30".
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C. quamash
The Indian Hyacinth, C. esculenta, circa 1837, yields upright racemes studded with dozens of six-petaled, 2", star-shaped, lavender-blue flowers with ivory-yellow anthers and whisper-green centers and dark blue-green buds. 15".
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C. quamash Blue Melody
A rare hybrid prized for its showy dark green foliage marginated in yellow, it yields upright racemes studded with dozens of six-petaled, 2", star-shaped dark blue flowers with yellow anthers and whisper-green centers. 15".
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Camassia quamash Orion
This 1913 hybrid forms ever substantive clusters of linear strappy foliage around upright racemes studded with dozens of six-petaled, 2", star-shaped deep violet-blue flowers with yellow anthers and whisper-green centers. 15".
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Easy to Plant
Bee-loved Camassia bulbs should be planted in the fall after the soil has cooled down to around 55°F (after two weeks of night time temperatures hovering in the 40s), in somewhat moist, neutral pH soil in moderate to full sunlight: 5" deep and 5" apart.
If you are planting them near a stream or pond, make sure to plant them above the high water mark: no bulb likes to sit in standing water, even Camassia. Camassia also lends itself well to floral meadow compositions, where it mingles beautifully with other naturalizing flower bulbs.
Top dress the garden three times a year with an organic, granular 4-10-6 fertilizer: at fall planting time, spring sprouting time and when the flower starts to die back.
Looking for other moisture-tolerant flower bulbs? Consider Corydalis solida, Eranthis cilicica, Erythronium californicum Pagoda, Fritillaria meleagris and F. meleagris alba, Galanthus and Leucojum.
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Call Us~We're Here for You!
Reserve the essential flower bulbs for your clients' gardens now to avoid dreaded sold-outs later. We don't charge credit cards until we prepare your order for shipment, so there is no cost associated with reserving your bulbs now. You can always add to or change your order prior to shipment.
We start shipping to colder areas of the U.S. the third week in September and will ship your orders at the proper time for planting in your area. We are here to help you 8:30 am to 7:00 pm Monday through Friday and from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm over the weekends. If you need an individual variety in smaller volume, please visit our sister company, John Scheepers Beauty from Bulbs.
Call us at 860.567.8734 if you need a sharp pencil quotation on individual varieties in excess of published volume pricing. We can pack your order by client or planting site.
We never substitute named varieties, bulb size or quality.
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