So many bulbous plants demand good drainage, but camassias thrive in damp, soggy soil. They are used in the meadows at Highgrove, they spill down a spring-fed bank at Abbotswood, near Stow on the Wold, and they can be seen all over Dutch gardens naturalised in grass – producing flowering spikes containing a hundred starry flowers by early summer.
There are six species from the Americas and five of them are found growing close to streams in North America. The American Indians collected, roasted and ate the bulbs and cooked them into a sweet molasses for special occasions. The two garden-worthy forms generally offered are C. leichtlinii and C. quamash. The smaller of the two is Camassia quamash, also known as the Camas Lily or Wild Hyacinth. This usually reaches between one and two feet in height with flowers that vary from white, to pale-blue to dark blue. The bulb companies can’t give these away. A hundred bulbs can cost under ten pounds from Peter Nyssen (www.peternyssen.com/ 0161 747 4000) The taller Camassia leichtlinii is pricier, but it can reach a willowy three feet in good soil. This is the one to naturalise and it will cost you roughly a pound a bulb. ‘Caerulea’ is a deep blue. There is a white called ‘Alba’ (which tends to be shorter and slightly earlier) and a semi-double white labelled ‘Semi-Plena’. The latter is roughly twice the price, but very lovely. The word ‘white’ is slightly misleading because camassias tend to have soft, creamy white flowers.
A couple of years ago at The Chelsea Flower Show, the National Collection holder, Margaret Owen, mounted a terrific display of camassias in a variety of colours. They were named seedlings raised from C. leichtlinii. Her favourite variety was ‘Plum Tart’. But there were amethysts and lilac varieties as well. This came as something of a shock to me as I had never seen a pink, plum or lilac camassia before that day. Coincidentally Avon Bulbs (www.avonbulbs.co.uk/ 01460 242177) also displayed a range of Stellar Hybrids raised from C. leichtlinii at the same show. The nursery sell them as a Stellar Hybrids rather than named individuals.
C. leichtlinii grows in the western USA in mountain meadows and although it prefers full sun it will tolerate light shade. The buds at the bottom of the raceme open first, and the flowers at the top can still be seen a month later. But hot weather can send the blooms over quicker. Bulbs should be planted four to six inches deep (10-12 cm) and roughly nine inches apart nine (22 cm) in groups of five or more. Camassias follow taller tulips and they could be planted together. When the leaves start to lose colour you can cut them back, but you can also leave them to self seed. This is a good way to produce more healthy bulbs and seedlings will only take four years to flower. Like many North American natives, a cold winter followed by a summer bake produces better flowers. So if you have damp garden and an open area of grass, give up the mowing, and plant some camassias through it this September. Once established, do not disturb!
