Camassia Lily

Here’s one of North America’s little-known natives that belongs in every wildflower garden. The beautiful purplish-blue Camassia ‘Lily’, sometimes called American Hyacinth, is native to our northern plains and mountain states, and figured prominently in Native American history. The lilies carpet open areas in the northern plains, and the bulbs were used for both food and medicine. The plant was ‘discovered’ by Lewis and Clark as they ventured west, and found the Indians harvesting thousands of Camassia bulbs. Lewis tried the meal made from the bulbs, and found it didn’t agree with him, but that’s fine. You probably don’t plan on eating your Camassia bulbs. Just plant them in your wildflower meadow and enjoy their blue beauty for years to come.

Photo Credit: Camassia was collected by the Lewis and Clark Expedition on the Weippe Prairie along Jim Ford Creek just south of Weippe, Clearwater Co., Idaho, on 23 Jun 1806. This view from the Lewis & Clark Herbarium website shows the continuing bloom of this native lily in the wild today.