Also called Early Camas (sometimes spelled Camass), this low-growing perennial plant looks more like a grass. It belongs to the Family Liliaceae (Lily) which also includes Solomon's Seals, Twisted Stalks, Fawn Lilies, Wild Onions, Chocolate Lily, Indian Hellebore etc.

Common Camas prefers moist to wet soils during the winter and can completely dry out during the summer. It likes full sun and survives in poor soils on rocky outcrops. It is ideal for use in Pacific Northwest rock gardens, sunny garden edges and sunny wet spots near ponds. The habitat it typically grows in, Garry Oak Meadows, are considered the most endandered habitat in Canada. These meadows are found mostly on the eastern side of Vancouver Island and on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State and southwards. These areas are ideal for human use, such as housing developments, and they are rapidly disappearing.

Check out the Garry Oak Ecosystem Recovery Team's (GOERT) web-site at www.goert.ca for information.

Growth begins in the spring by poking out tiny grass-like stems from between wet cracks and crevices on rocky outcrops and lowland but drained areas. By about the end of April (depending on elevation), a cluster of blue-purple flowers emerge, often mingling with the yellow of spring gold and western buttercup it usually grows with. Sometimes the stamens are yellow, sometimes blue. The white death camas can sometimes be found growing amongst the Common camas, but flowers a few weeks later.

The Common Camas was a significant food source for First Nations. The bulb formed a staple starchy food, much like the potato is for western cultures. The bulbs were also cooked to create a crystaline sugar/syrup which was traded. Patches of Camas were tended by families and the area was frequently burned to keep the habitat suitable for their growth. Death Camas were marked in patches and dug out later in the season.

The Giant Camas can easily be confused for the common Camas as both overlap in size. The best way to tell them apart is the fact that the Giant Camas petals twist together when they wither to protect the fruit.

By the end of June, the leaves and flowers of the camas die back and seeds have formed and dropped to the ground to wait for the cycle to begin again.

Like some other lilies, the Camas grows from a smallish bulb. Maximum size is about 3 cm from tip to base. The plant matures and flowers when the plant is about 3 to 5 years old. The Common Camas can also start from seed. These must be planted soon after collection or the germination rate declines rapidly.

If you find this lovely plant in the wild, do not dig it up because of its rare habitat status. You can order bulbs and plants from native plant nurseries. I also collect a few seeds from my garden each summer. If you have patience and would like to try growing them, I have a limited supply I can share with other Canadians. E-mail me first to see if I have some left and to get my mailing address. (I cannot mail them to the US.)

Seeds must be planted before the end of August to ensure some success. Send me $4 and a self-addressed and stamped legal envelope.

by Donna Hill B.Sc. B.Ed. 2003