Camassia are perennial bulbous plants in the Asparagus family, Asparagaceae, that also includes yucca, bluebell and spider plant. They are native to the US where they grow in moist meadows across the nation in all major regions except New England. Plants grow 12 to 50″ tall and have a basal rosette of strap-shaped linear leaves that are 8-32″ long, appear in the early spring and tend to wither after flowering. In summer, multiple flowers are carried in terminal racemes above the foliage. Each flower is star-shaped and has six white to pale lilac to deep purple or blue-violet petal-like tepals. The flowers are often good in the vase.
Although Camassias prefer full sun they tolerate partial shade as well as short term wet and clay soil . They are fairly cold-hardy and resistant to pests and diseases. The bulbs produce offsets that can be used to propagate the plants but seed is a possibility too if waiting several years for flowering is acceptable. The genus name, Camassia, comes from the Native American Indian name of kamas or quamash for a genus whose bulb was once used by native Americans and settlers as a food source. Photo Credit: Eric in SF, Wikipedia
The environmental conditions of the Mid-Atlantic resulted in at least one species of Camassia native there but it is native to other regions also. The Camassia described here is native to at least two states in the Mid-Atlantic.
Atlantic Camas (Camassia scilloides)
Floppy grass-like leaves are 6-12 inches long and form a low basal rosette up to 18″ wide. Flowering stalks are 18-24″ tall and carry terminal racemes of numerous flowers. Each flower is 3/4-1″ across and has 6 bright yellow anthers surrounded by light blue-violet to almost white tepals that spread widely from the center of the flower. The flowers attract various pollinators including honey bees, bumble bees, and occasionally butterflies.
Alternate Name/s: Wild camas, eastern hyacinth
Native Range: Pennsylvania and Maryland as well as places in the Southwest, Midwest and Southeast
Habitat: Prairies, savannahs, open woodlands, rocky wooded slopes, and limestone glades
Type: Perennial
Height: 8-12″
Bloom Time: Mid to late spring
Bloom Color: Pale blue to whitish
Light: Full sun to partial sun
Soil: Fertile, medium moist, well-drained
USDA Hardiness Zones: 5-9
Photo Credit: Wikipedia
The Mid-Atlantic region includes Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and the District of Columbia. The region is characterized by cold winters and hot summers, high humidity in summer along some areas along the coast, and precipitation between 32 and 52″ per year.