Great Camas (purple)

Camassia leichtlinii ssp suksdorfii

Great camas is a perennial bulb native to moist meadows, prairies, and open woodlands of the Pacific Northwest. It produces tall flowering stalks, often 2–4 feet high, topped with showy racemes of star-shaped deep blue to violet flowers that bloom in late spring to early summer. After flowering, it forms seed capsules while the strap-like leaves wither as the soil dries. Great camas has deep cultural significance—native peoples of the region traditionally harvested the starchy bulbs as a staple food. Today, it remains a key species in wet prairie restoration, an important symbol of cultural identity, and a striking feature of native plant gardens. It can form a beautiful sea of blue/purple in oak savannahs and oak woodlands where it attracts pollinators, butterflies, and hummingbirds.