The illustrated growing guide
Camas
Camassia quamash
Family Asparagaceae
Est. zones 3-8
One of the most beautiful native bulbs — rivers of blue stars in a spring meadow, alive with bees — and a historically vital Indigenous food crop of the Northwest. Grow it for the show and the pollinators. The famous edible bulb comes with a hard rule: it's indistinguishable from lethal death camas except in flower, so treat eating it as expert-only.
Full Sun to Part Shade
Moderate water
Spring bulb growth
Native to North America
Attracts bees
From the print shop
The closest print we make
We don’t print Camassia quamash. The closest we have is Camassia scilloides (“Wild Hyacinth”) in the Wildflowers Vol. 3 collection — the same genus, Camassia, not the same species.
16 designsfrom $21.99white or black groundmatte poster, unframed
I
Overview
Will camas suit your garden, and what goes wrong.
Will it fruit where you are?
Enter your ZIP — we look up your USDA hardiness zone (2023 map) and check it against what camas actually needs.
Hardy inZones 3-8Camas at a glance
Common camas problems
- Almost none
- Almost none
II
Growing
Light, water, soil, propagation and the season’s jobs.
How to grow camas: light, water & soil
How to plant & propagate camas
III
The year
What camas asks for, month by month.
The camas year, month by month
BloomWhat each band means
- Bloom — flowers open — pollinators working, frost on blossoms is the danger.
The camas year as text
- Jan quiet month
- Feb quiet month
- Mar quiet month
- Apr quiet month
- May bloom
- Jun quiet month
- Jul quiet month
- Aug quiet month
- Sep quiet month
- Oct quiet month
- Nov quiet month
- Dec quiet month
These are the species' typical months — expect them a few weeks earlier in warm zones and later in cold ones. Watch the plant, not just the calendar.
IV
Ecology & uses
What it does for the garden, and what it is grown for.
Camas in the garden system
- Root layer bulb
- Nectary/insectary
What camas is grown for
✓ Commonly eatenBlue camas bulb edible when properly slow-cooked; the look-alike DEATH CAMAS (white flowers) is lethal — never eat a camas bulb you can't confirm in bloom
Harvesting & storing camas
Bulbs were a First Nations staple food (slow-roasted for days to convert inulin to sweetness) — but see caution.
Edibility, identification, and traditional-use notes here are general reference — not medical or veterinary advice, and not a claim that any plant treats or prevents anything. Medicinal ratings record how strongly a plant features in herbal tradition, nothing more. Never eat or dose a plant you have not positively identified. More on how to use this library.
V
Cultivars
Named varieties of camas, ruled as a catalogue.
Best camas varieties & cultivars
Camassia quamash; C. leichtlinii (larger)
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Sources & plant ID
Where the care distinctions come from, and how the plant is filed.
Research basis
Sources behind this profile
No extension citations are attached to camasyet. The care figures below come from the library's own catalogue rather than a traced primary source.
Plant ID
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Where to buy
Third-party nurseries — not Story Thyme Farms.
Third-party nurseries, not Story Thyme Farms. Prices are theirs.
Story Thyme Farms may earn a small commission from these links, at no cost to you — it never changes what we recommend.
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Questions
Camas questions, answered straight.
Is camas safe for kids and pets?
Camas is commonly eaten and isn't considered toxic, but "commonly eaten" isn't a guarantee for any particular person or animal — allergies, quantity, and which part you eat all matter. One caveat on this one: Blue camas bulb edible when properly slow-cooked; the look-alike DEATH CAMAS (white flowers) is lethal — never eat a camas bulb you can't confirm in bloom. Never eat a plant you haven't positively identified, and check with a vet before letting pets or livestock graze anything new.
When do you harvest camas?
Bulbs were a First Nations staple food (slow-roasted for days to convert inulin to sweetness) — but see caution.
How do you propagate camas?
Offsets, division, or bulbils.
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Elsewhere
Where camas sits in the library.
Sunflower
Zinnia
Peony
Daylily