Common Camas

Camassia quamash

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The Common Camas (Camassia quamash) is a stunning perennial wildflower of western North America that transforms moist meadows into seas of brilliant blue-purple in late spring — and holds a place of extraordinary cultural significance as one of the most important staple foods of the indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest. For thousands of years, First Nations tribes tended vast "Camas prairies," harvesting the sweet, nutritious bulbs in quantities that sustained entire communities through winter, making this plant one of the few wildflowers that literally built civilizations.

• One of the most important staple foods of Pacific Northwest indigenous peoples for over 10,000 years
• Vast "Camas prairies" were actively managed with controlled burns to maintain bulb productivity
• The bulbs were so valuable that they were used as currency and were a major item of inter-tribal trade
• Meriwether Lewis wrote of Camas meadows: "the quawmash is at present in blume and from the colour of its bloom at a short distance it resembles lakes of fine clear water"
• The genus name Camassia derives from the Nez Perce word "qém’es" for the plant
• Can form spectacular displays visible from miles away when in bloom

Native to western North America.

• Found from British Columbia southward through Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming to Utah and Nevada
• Most abundant in the Palouse region, the Willamette Valley, and the Camas Prairie of Idaho
• Grows in moist meadows, prairies, stream margins, and seasonally wet depressions
• Historic Camas prairies once covered thousands of acres across the Pacific Northwest
• Many of these prairies have been destroyed by agriculture and development
• First described by Pursh in 1814, based on specimens collected by the Lewis and Clark Expedition
• The genus Camassia contains approximately 6 species, all native to North America

A bulbous perennial herb, 20 to 70 cm tall.

Bulb:
• Ovoid to globose, 1 to 5 cm in diameter
• Dark brown to blackish outer coat, white and starchy inside
• Relatively small compared to the tall flower stem

Leaves:
• 3 to 8 basal leaves, linear, 15 to 60 cm long and 0.5 to 2 cm wide
• Green, smooth, with parallel veins, somewhat fleshy

Stem:
• Erect, slender, leafless above the base, green to purplish

Flower:
• Dense terminal raceme of 10 to 40 flowers, 2.5 to 4 cm across
• Tepals 6, deep blue-violet to pale blue, occasionally white
• Each flower opens for 1 to 2 days
• Yellow stamens conspicuous against the blue petals
• Blooms April through June

Fruit:
• Ovoid capsule, 1 to 2 cm long, splitting into 3 valves

A species of seasonally wet prairies and meadows with deep cultural ecology.

• Found in moist to wet prairies, meadows, and stream margins that dry out in summer
• Pollinated by a wide range of insects including bees, flies, and butterflies
• Bulbs were traditionally harvested by First Nations women using digging sticks in late summer to fall
• Controlled burning of Camas prairies maintained open habitat and increased bulb production
• Camas prairies represent one of the oldest examples of indigenous landscape management in North America
• Grows alongside other moisture-loving species such as harvest brodiaea and California oatgrass
• Deer and elk occasionally graze the foliage but generally avoid the bulbs

Highly nutritious when properly prepared, Camas bulbs were a dietary staple rich in complex carbohydrates.

• Raw bulbs contain indigestible inulin — cooking converts it to sweet fructose through slow heating
• Properly cooked bulbs are sweet, with a flavor described as resembling baked pear or sweet chestnut
• Extremely high in complex carbohydrates and a significant source of dietary fiber
• Provides moderate amounts of protein and essential minerals
• Traditional pit-cooking for 12 to 72 hours transforms the tough, fibrous raw bulb into a soft, sweet, dark caramel-colored food
• Cooked bulbs were pressed into cakes or loaves and dried for winter storage
• A critical winter survival food that could sustain communities for months

Easy to grow in appropriate moist conditions.

• Plant bulbs in autumn, 10 to 15 cm deep and 15 to 20 cm apart
• Requires moist, well-drained soil in full sun to light shade
• Ideal for meadow plantings, rain gardens, and naturalized areas
• Tolerates winter wet and clay soils
• Do not allow bulbs to dry out completely during summer dormancy
• Very long-lived and will naturalize freely in favorable sites
• Spectacular in mass plantings — the effect of hundreds of blue flower spikes is unforgettable
• Hardy to USDA Zone 4

Camas bulbs were prepared by pit-roasting for 12 to 72 hours between layers of hot rocks and vegetation. This slow cooking converted the indigestible inulin into sweet fructose, producing a soft, dark, caramel-flavored food that was pressed into cakes and dried for winter storage. The bulbs were so nutritionally important that wars were fought over control of the best Camas harvesting grounds, and the arrival of the Lewis and Clark expedition at a Nez Perce Camas prairie in 1805 nearly led to starvation when the explorers fell ill from gorging on unfamiliar Camas preparations after months of near-starvation in the Bitterroot Mountains.

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