Camassia cusickii
Pale blue spires rise above deep green, strappy leaves with wavy margins. This bulbous plant can be found naturalised next to the path leading down to the lake and in a more formal setting in the Shrub Rose Garden.
Vital statistics
- Common name
- Quamash, Cusick’s Camas, wild hyacinth
- Family
- Asparagaceae
- Height & spread
- 60-80cm x 10cm (24-32in x 4in)
- Form
- Bulbous perennial
- Soil
- Well-drained, fertile, humus rich soil
- Aspect
- Sun or partial shade
- Hardiness
- Fully hardy to frost hardy
Camassia
This is a genus of about five or six species of bulbous perennials that grow naturally in damp fertile meadows of North America.
The bulbs are usually large and ovoid to spherical. From this long, bright green, linear leaves arise in spring, these are followed by a tall leafless flower stem. This large upright flower stem produces terminal racemes of purple, blue or white flowers.
Camassia also commonly called camas, the Native American name for this plant. The Native Americans used the bulb as an important source of food, the bulbs were buried and roasted in pits with hot boulders for 2 days to sweeten, once cooked the flavour is likened to sweet chestnuts.
The genus now in Asparagaceae, used to belong to the family Hyacinthaceae, the flowers of camassia are very reminiscent of hyacinths. Biological studies and research into its DNA have brought about the reclassification of the whole family into Asparagaceae.
Camassia cusickii
This species is from north east Oregon USA, commonly found growing in damp meadows and along the banks of streams. In British gardens they look fantastic growing in informal lawns and grassy open spaces. The foliage can be slow to die down, this can look a little untidy in some lawns so they may be better suited to a border. The leaves which are linear with a wavy margin reach 40-80cm (16-32in) long.
The flower stem reaching 20-40cm (8-16in) produces large racemes of shallow-cup shaped, light to deep blue flowers each 5cm (2in) wide. These flowers last for about three weeks.
‘Zwanenburg’ is a good cultivar that has deeper blue flowers than the straight species. This was named after an area in Haarlem, Netherlands where it was bred.
Cultivation
- Do not allow soil to become waterlogged
- Plant bulbs 10cm (4in) deep in autumn
- Grow in a fertile, humus rich moisture retentive soil, that is still well drained
- Mulch in winter in areas prone to hard frosts
- Water freely in dry summers
Propagation
Seed can be sown in containers as soon as ripe and placed in a cold frame, offsets can also be removed when the bulbs are dormant in summer.