Common Camas
Camassia quamash, band pot
Habit: grows from a solitary, starchy 1-2 in (2-5cm) bulb, producing numerous, basal, grass-like leaves. The 5-20 pale blue to deep blue star shaped flowers bloom up a tall scape (leafless stem) from bottom to top, and have bright yellow stamen and 6 tepals. The withering tepals twist together around developing papery capsules. Blooms May to July.
Ecology: common camas is found in meadows, open forests and streambanks, up to 7000 ft (2100m) in Western North America.
Growing Conditions: full sun in acidic, moist to wet well-drained soil in the winter and spring, and dry soil during summer dormancy.
Seen in the wild as large fields of blue in the spring.
photo credit: Camas Lily Field Sunrise 8635 C, Jim Choate, Flickr, (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
photo credit: Camassia quamash, Matt Lavin, Flickr, (CC BY-SA 2.0)
photo credit: IMG_7680 Camas - Camassia quamash, Jon. D. Anderson, (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
