Great camas

Camassia leichtlinii

In other languages: Prairielelie (Nederlands) · Camassie (Français)

Great camas comes from western North America, from British Columbia to California, where it grows in damp meadows. In May sturdy stems of 60–90 cm appear, carrying long spikes of star-shaped flowers in blue, violet or creamy white that open from the bottom upwards. The narrow, grassy leaves come up in spring and die back in summer. Gardeners value it because, unlike most bulbs, it tolerates wet, heavy soil and naturalises easily in grass. Well-known forms are the blue ‘Caerulea’, the creamy white ‘Alba’ and the semi-double, creamy white ‘Semiplena’.

Updated on 9 October 2026

Light
Sun or partial shade
preferably some sun
Moisture
Normal to wet
must not dry out
Legal basis
Loam, clay or peat
any pH
Hardiness
Fully hardy
down to -25 °C
Size
0.9 m
tall, 0.2 m wide
Flowering
May

Key facts
Height	0.9 m
Native to Belgium	No, planted
Good for bees, butterflies and birds	Yes, for bees
Poisonous to people and pets	Not known to be poisonous
Flowering	May

Identify

Great camas: how do you recognise it?

Habit: Upright bulb, 60–90 cm tall and about 20 cm wide, with a clump of narrow leaves.
Leaves: Long, narrow and grass-like, fresh green; die back in June–July.
Flower: Long spikes with dozens of six-petalled, star-shaped flowers in May. They open from the bottom up.
Colour: Blue to violet or creamy white; the yellow stamens stand out nicely.
Bulb: Large, egg-shaped bulb with a dark skin; slowly forms dense clumps.

Flowering: May · Plants: September–November

In your garden

Why grow it?

One of the few bulbs that tolerate wet, heavy soil and even a pond edge.
Fills the May gap between the spring bulbs and the summer perennials.
Attracts plenty of bees and bumblebees.
A strong cut flower: in a vase, the spikes keep opening for days.
Naturalises in long grass and wildflower meadows and gets better every year.

Great camas: where does it grow best?

Sun or partial shade; in full shade it flowers less.
Loam, clay or peaty soil, acid to chalky.
Moist to wet: ideal in grass, at a pond edge or in a low, damp corner of the garden.
Plant in groups, 10–15 cm apart, for a full effect.

Light: Sun and partial shade
Soil type: Loam, clay or peat
Acidity: Not fussy
Moisture: Normal or wet
Size: 0.9 m tall, 0.2 m wide
Hardiness: Hardy (to -25 °C)

Goes well with

Daffodil: Flowers just before it and also likes to naturalise in grass.
Snake’s-head fritillary: Another bulb for damp grass, flowering slightly earlier.
Cuckooflower: Small lilac flowers in the same damp grass.
Yellow flag iris: For the pond edge: yellow next to blue.
Columbine: Flowers at the same time in a partly shaded border.

Maintenance

Great camas: when and how to plant it?

Plant in September–November.

Plant the bulbs from September to November.
Plant them 15 cm deep, pointed end up.
Space them 10–15 cm apart, in loose groups of at least ten.
In grass: use a bulb planter or place the bulbs under a lifted piece of turf.
Firm the soil and water if it is dry.

Care

Water: Rarely needed. It likes a wet spring; water during growth if spring is dry.
Feeding: A thin layer of compost in March in a border; in grass, no feeding is needed.
Leaves: Let the leaves yellow after flowering. Only mow grass planted with camas from late June–July.
Spent flowers: Cut them off if you do not want seed; leave them if it may self-seed.
Support: Usually not needed; in deep shade or very rich soil the stems can flop.

Tip: Plant great camas in groups in damp grass and do not mow until July: it will then self-seed and the group gets bigger every year.

Great camas: when to prune it?

When: Great camas is not pruned; at most you remove spent stems and dead leaves.

How:

After flowering in June, cut off the spent stems, unless you want it to self-seed.
Leave the leaves until they turn yellow and come away on their own.
Cut stems for the vase when the lowest flowers open.

Caution: Do not cut or mow the leaves while they are green: the bulb needs them to flower next year.

Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Division: Every four to five years, lift crowded clumps once the leaves have died back (July–August) or in September. Separate the bulbs and replant them straight away.
Seed: Sow ripe seed in summer or autumn in a pot left outdoors; it germinates after a cold spell. Seedlings take three to four years to flower.

Great camas: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −25 °C.

Fully hardy to about −25 °C: no protection needed.
It copes with wet soil in winter better than most other bulbs.
In a pot: stand the pot in a sheltered spot against a wall and do not leave it in a saucer of water.

Diseases and pests

Slugs: Eat the young shoots in March–April. Pick them off in the evening or set a slug trap.
Flopping stems: Happens in deep shade or very rich soil. Choose a sunnier spot and do not feed.
Few flowers: The clumps have become crowded or the leaves were mown too early. Divide the bulbs and let the foliage die back.

Through the year

March: Leaves appear. Scatter compost in borders.
April: Watch for slugs. Water if spring is dry.
May: Flowering. Cut stems for the vase.
June: Cut off spent stems or let them set seed. Let the leaves yellow.
July: Foliage has died back: you can mow now. Divide crowded clumps.
September: Plant bulbs, 15 cm deep.
October: Plant in damp grass or at the pond edge.
November: Last chance to plant.

Use

Good for wildlife

Bees: Nectar and pollen for honeybees and wild bees.

You and this species

Did you know?

The bulbs of wild camas were an important food for Indigenous peoples of western North America; they were slow-cooked in pits in the ground.
The name camassia comes from ‘camas’ or ‘quamash’, the Indigenous name for the plant.
The species name honours Max Leichtlin, a German plant collector from Baden-Baden.

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