Cussick's camas
Camassia cusickii

Family: Asparagaceae

What it is like

Camassia cusickii is a BULB growing to 0.9 m (3ft) by 0.6 m (2ft in) at a medium rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 3. Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and prefers well-drained 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): 0.9

Where it is found

Damp meadows at subalpine and alpine elevations (4,000–6,000 feet (1,200–1,800 m) and tolerates pond edges, rich soils, and bloom well in either sun or shade.

A Pacific Northwest U.S. native that’s been cultivated commercially in the Netherlands.

Conservation Status:

Countries/locations it is found in

How it is used

Food

Rating: 2

Bulb. The cooked bulb has a sweet, anise-squash flavour. Pressure cook at 250°F or 120°C for nine hours. A larger bulb than other species in this genus but the flavour is considered poorer. Considered pungent, slimy, and bitter tasting by some (summitpost.org). The bitter taste is due to saponins in the plant. Commonly confused with C. quamash where Native Americans would harvest the roots to eat raw as a vegetables, or boiled them to create a sweet, molasses-like treat.

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

Medicine

Rating: 0

Other

Rating: 3

Uses include food forests, informal gardens, cottage gardens, prairie and meadows. Locations include: garden banks and slopes, beds and borders and can be underplanted with roses and other shrubs. Showy, cut flowers. Thrives among perennials. C. cusickii can naturalize and serve as a good ground cover.

Food Forest: Plants for Edible Forest Gardens and Food Forests.

Ground Cover: Ground Cover

How it is grown

Hardy Perennial Bulb found in temperate to subtropical locations. Prefers moist, fertile soil in full sun to partial sunlight. Soil chalk, loam or sand which is acid, alkaline or neutral. It tolerates clay and dry soil. Soil moisture moist but well-drained. Unlike most bulbs, it prefers soil that has a bit more moisture but is intolerant of waterlogging. Deer- and rodent-resistant. Flowers spring to early summer. The plant is heat tolerant in zones 12 through 1. (Plant Hardiness Zones show how well plants withstand cold winter temperatures. Plant Heat Zones show when plants would start suffering from the heat. The Plant Heat Zone map is based on the number of "heat days" experienced in a given area where the temperature climbs to over 86 degrees F (30°C). At this temperature, many plants begin to suffer physiological damage. Heat Zones range from 1 (no heat days) to 12 (210 or more heat days). For example Heat Zone. 11-1 indicates that the plant is heat tolerant in zones 11 through 1). For polyculture design as well as the above-ground architecture (form - tree, shrub etc. and size shown above) information on the habit and root pattern is also useful and given here if available. The plant growth habit is a clumper with limited spread. The root pattern is a bulb.

Propagating it: Propagated by removing the offsets that have formed round the main bulbs. Plant 6 inches (150 mm) deep in late summer or early fall. In very cold areas, the soil should be mulched to protect the bulbs in late autumn.

Best place to grow:

Habit: Bulb

Hardiness: 3-11

Growth: Medium

Soil: Light (sandy), medium

Shade: Semi-shade, no shade

Moisture: Moist

Things to keep in mind

Although no hazards are known Camassia spp. can be mistaken for Zigadenus spp. when not flowering which are very toxic.

Its other names

Local names

Cussick's camas, Wild hyacinth

Synonyms

Quamasia cusickii (S.Watson) Coville