Camassia leichtlinii

Camas is one of our most beautiful and recognizable native wildflowers and very easy to grow! Clusters of starry, lily-like flowers emerge from a base of long leaves that look a bit like grass. The blossoms vary in color from deep purple to light lavender, and sometimes even white. Great Camas is a larger and taller than its cousin Common Camas (Camassia quamash). It can also be distinguished from Common Camas by its six symmetrical petals (tepals) that twist after blooming.

The bulbs of camassia are edible when cooked, and it was (and still is) an important food sources for indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest. Camas plots were regularly burned to encourage and maintain its growth.