Summary
Eastern camas (Camassia scilloides) is a lovely yet under-appreciated herbaceous perennial bulb with lavender blue, star-shaped, fragrant flowers that are produced on delicate 1-2’ tall stems. It performs well in full sun to filtered shade when grown in neutral soils that are moist in winter and spring. Eastern camas can be planted in masses among spring wildflowers including woodland phlox (Phlox divaricata), large-flowered trillium (Trillium grandiflorum), and dwarf larkspur (Delphinium tricorne). It also thrives with moisture-loving plants such as slender blue flag (Iris prismatica), Virginia chain fern (Anchistea virginica), and great blue lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica) which fill the void left behind in summer when eastern camass goes dormant. Zones 4-8.
More Details
- Plant Type
perennial-bulb - Sun/Shade Conditions
filtered-shade-to-full-sun - Foliage Character
deciduous - Soil Moisture
average-to-wet - Flowering Period
mid-spring - Soil PH
adaptable - Flower Color
blue - Summer Foliage Color
green - Fall Foliage Color
dormant - Other Common Names
wild hyacinth - Fruit/Seed Color
tan
Additional Information
USDA Plants Database, Illinois Wildflowers, Flora of North America