Common Camas

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Other Names:
Camas, Quamash, Small Camas, Blue Camas; Nez Perce: qém'es; Chinook: chamas (‘sweet’)
Latin Name:
Camassia Quamash
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The Common Camas (Camassia quamash) is the iconic blue wildflower of Northwest prairies — sheets of deep blue-violet stars that once turned whole valleys the color of lakes — and one of the single most important traditional foods of the region.2, 4

NOTE: Native wildflowers are dormant (no leaves/flowers) Summer–Fall.

Edible & Medicinal Uses

Camas bulbs become richly sweet — but only through long, slow cooking. Raw, they're hard and indigestible; cooked slowly for many hours (traditionally pit-steamed for 24–48 hours), their inulin turns to fructose and the bulbs become soft, dark, and sweet, tasting of baked pear, fig, or sweet potato — and the longer they cook, the sweeter they get. The sweet bulbs are pit-cooked into staples and cakes and traded widely across the West.1, 4

Ornamental Qualities

Breathtaking in a spring meadow, Common Camas carries spikes of blue to violet-blue flowers 1–2 ft tall, naturalizing into unforgettable drifts. It's perfect for a meadow, rain garden, or border that's wet in spring and dry in summer, and it's the signature companion of Oregon White Oak savannas alongside Nodding Onion and Great Camas.4

Environment & Culture

Ecology: Native from British Columbia to California and east to the Rockies, Common Camas grows in seasonally wet meadows and oak prairies. Its flowers feed native bees and butterflies, and its vast meadows were — and are — a keystone of Northwest oak-savanna ecosystems.1, 4

Culture: Camas prairies are carefully tended with fire, weeding, and selective harvest — camas is a dietary staple and a major trade good, so important it sometimes sparked conflict — and remains a cultural cornerstone (Nez Perce qém'es; Lushootseed čəbidac; Twana Qa'ɛb). The name comes from the Nuu-chah-nulth word chamas, “sweet.” We offer camas with deep respect for that living knowledge and invite support for Indigenous-led restoration through our Charitable Giving page.4

In the Kitchen

Camas asks for patience. Once the plant has finished flowering and the bulbs are dug, roast or steam them low and slow for many hours — even a full day — until they turn amber, soft, and sweet; a slow cooker or low oven approximates the traditional steam pit. Eaten as a caramelized sweet root or mashed to sweeten other foods, they're a revelation. A note of respect and caution: the toxic death camas shares these meadows and can look similar at a glance; the two differ in their flowers and bulbs on close inspection, but the resemblance is real, so never gather camas from the wild without expert guidance. (Growing and harvest details are on the Planting Guide tab.)

Attributes

  • Native Range: British Columbia to California, east to the Rockies; wet prairies1
  • USDA Zones: ~4–83
  • Light: Full sun to part shade4
  • Water: Moist in spring, dry in summer (summer-dormant)4
  • Soil: Seasonally moist; tolerates clay4
  • Habit: Bulb perennial, 1–2 ft; blue flower spikes, mid-to-late spring2
  • Edible: Bulbs — sweet only after long, slow cooking (never raw)1

References

  1. Confluence Project; Wikipedia, Camassia quamash.
  2. Pojar, J. & MacKinnon, A., Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast, 2014.
  3. USDA PLANTS Database, Camassia quamash.
  4. OSPI Since Time Immemorial, "Camas"; Turner & Bell ethnobotany; Inland NW Routes.

Pot Sizing Guide

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Planting Guide: Common Camas (Camassia quamash)

Tip: Plant it where the ground is wet in spring and bakes dry in summer, and leave it be — over years it naturalizes into the famous blue camas drifts of the Northwest.

When Your Plant Arrives

Open the box promptly and lift your plant out gently, holding the pot rather than the stem. Leave it in its biodegradable eco-pot for now — the roots are settled and don’t need disturbing yet. Give it a slow, thorough drink until water runs through the bottom, then set it somewhere bright but sheltered, out of harsh afternoon sun, drying wind, and frost. Let it rest and acclimate there for a few days before planting, so the move from our greenhouse to your garden is a gentle one. If anything doesn’t look right, please contact customer service within 7 days of delivery and we’ll take care of you.

Choosing a Site

Light: Full sun to light part shade.

Soil: Ground that is wet in spring and dries in summer; tolerates clay and heavy meadow soil. Avoid spots that stay soggy year-round or that get summer irrigation.

Space: 3–5 in apart, in generous drifts for the best meadow effect and pollinator draw.

Planting Steps

Plant dormant bulbs in fall, 3–4 in deep, pointed end up (roots down).

Work in a little grit if drainage is poor, firm the soil, and water once to settle.

Mulch lightly. After bloom each year let the foliage yellow and die back on its own — this recharges the bulb; never cut it while green.

Watering & Care

Establishment: Keep the soil moist through the first spring as roots and shoots develop.

After establishment: Camas needs a dry summer dormancy — withhold all summer water once the leaves brown. Summer watering is the surest way to rot the bulbs.

Maintenance: Leave clumps undisturbed to multiply into drifts; lift and divide only if crowded, in fall. It naturalizes readily and self-sows.

Protection

Deer & rodents: Foliage is sometimes grazed; bulbs are usually left, though gophers and voles may take them under pressure — plant in wire baskets if needed.

Wildlife: A premier early-season nectar source for native bees and butterflies.

Companions: Oregon White Oak, Great Camas, Nodding Onion, and prairie grasses.

Harvest Basics

Safety first: Camas bulbs are nearly identical to those of death camas, which is poisonous and often grows in the very same meadows. Flower color won’t sort them out — edible camas ranges from blue-violet to creamy white depending on the species, and death camas is pale cream too, so a pale flower alone tells you nothing. Identify by the whole plant in bloom: camas bears large, showy, six-pointed star flowers up a tall spike, while death camas has smaller, tighter cream-to-greenish flowers in a denser cluster. Positively identify each plant in flower, mark your edible camas when it blooms, and never eat a bulb you can’t trace to a plant you saw flowering. When in doubt, don’t.

Season: Dig bulbs after flowering, once the foliage has matured.

Prep (essential): Camas is harsh and indigestible raw. Cook it long and slow — traditionally pit-steamed for 24–48 hours — which turns its inulin to fructose and the bulbs sweet, soft, and dark amber. Slow-bake or slow-cook for many hours until sweet; never eat raw.