Atlantic Camas
Camassia scilloides

Family: Hyacinthaceae

What it is like

Camassia scilloides is a BULB growing to 0.6 m (2ft). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 7 and is not frost tender. It is in flower in May. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Bees. It is noted for attracting wildlife. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and can grow in heavy clay soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.

Height (m): 0.6

Where it is found

Low fields, meadows and open woods. Prairies at elevations of 100 - 1000 metres.

Eastern N. America. - Ontario to Wisconsin and southwards.

Conservation Status:

Countries/locations it is found in

How it is used

Food

Rating: 3

Bulb - raw or cooked. The bulb was an important food for several native North American Indian tribes who used it in a variety of ways. It can be baked or dried and made into a powder which can be used as a thickener in stews or as an additive to cereal flours when making bread, cakes etc. The bulb is about 4cm long and 15mm wide.

Root: includes bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes etc.

Medicine

Rating: 0

Other

Rating:

Attracts Wildlife: Plants noted for attracting wildlife

How it is grown

Succeeds in almost any soil. Grows well in heavy clay soils. Prefers a rather heavy loam that has plenty of moisture in spring but does not remain wet over the winter. Dislikes dry soils. Tolerates partial shade. Plant bulbs 7 - 10cm deep in early autumn and then leave them undisturbed.

Propagating it: Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. The seed can also be sown in a cold frame in spring. It usually germinates in 1 - 6 months at 15°c, but it can be erratic. Sow the seed thinly so that it does not need to be thinned and allow the seedlings to grow on undisturbed for their first year. Give an occasional liquid feed to ensure that the plants do not become nutrient deficient. When the plants are dormant in late summer, pot up the small bulbs putting 2 - 3 bulbs in each pot. Grow them on for another one or two years in a cold frame before planting them out when dormant in late summer. Offsets in late summer. The bulb has to be scored in order to produce offsets.

Best place to grow: Cultivated Beds;

Habit: Bulb

Hardiness: 6-9

Growth:

Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)

Shade: Semi-shade, no shade

Moisture: Moist

Things to keep in mind

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

C. esculenta. non Lindl. C. fraseri. Quamasia hyacinthina.