What is It? Camas is a perennial wildflower with an edible bulb that, when baked, tastes like a sweet potato. Camas was a staple crop for Indians living in northwest America.

Scientific Name: Camassia quamash = Camassia esculenta = Camas = Common Camas. A larger, closely related species is called Camassia leichtlini = Camassia esculenta maxima = Camassia quamash maxima = Giant Camassia. Camassia is in the Asparagaceae = Asparagus Family. (Earlier classifications place camas in the Liliaceae = Lily Family).

Agronomy Note: For highest yields, plant Giant Camassia = Camassia leichtlini. Giant camas bulbs are double the size of common camas = Camassia quamash.

Growth Habit: Camas is a slow-growing perennial. Plants take 3 to 5 years to flower. Bulbs grow only 1 or 2 leaves per year. Rule-of-Thumb: Camas plants take 4 to 6 years to grow harvest-size bulbs.

Pollination: Camas is self-incompatible. Flowers need cross-pollination by insects.

Height: 18 to 36 inches tall, depending on species. Mature Camassia quamash maxima plants are 24 to 30+ inches tall. Camassia quamash = common camas plants are smaller, 18 to 24 inches.

Leaves: Mature camas plants have ribbon-like leaves 1 inch wide and up to 20 inches long. Seedling leaves look like lawn grass. A good way to estimate the age of camas plants is to count the number of leaves, 1 or 2 leaves for every year of growth.

Flowers: Camas flowers are blue or purple with 6 petals. Large camas meadows may have a few mutant plants with white flowers. These should be dug up and replanted elsewhere to avoid any possible confusion with “Death Camas” which also has white flowers.

Seed Capsules: Ripe seed capsules are tan or light brown and measure 0.2 to 0.7 inch long. Capsules have 3 cells each containing 5 to 10 black seeds. Capsules thresh easily and chaff may be separated with a small fan.

Seeds: Camas seeds are black, oval or elliptical, and about the size of a small peppercorn. Seeds measure approximately 2.8 millimeters long x 1.8 millimeters wide x 1.8 millimeters deep. Seeds store 2 to 5 years in a glass jar at room temperature.

Seed Weight: Camas seed weights vary widely depending on species, location, and growing conditions. 1 Camassia quamash maxima seed weighs approximately 0.007 gram = 0.0002469 ounce. Average Thousand Seed Weight = 7 grams = 142,560 seeds per kilogram = 4,050 seeds per ounce = 64,800 seeds per pound. Camassia quamash (common camas) seeds range from 220,000 to 257,400 seeds per kilogram = 100,000 to 117,000 seeds per pound.

Bulbs: Camas bulbs look like small onions, 1 to 3 inches in diameter. Harvest size bulbs measure approximately 0.75 inch in diameter. Average bulb weight = 0.20 to 0.143 ounce = 5.67 to 4.054 grams = 3 to 5 bulbs per ounce.

Warning: If harvesting wild camas, only gather plants with blue or purple flowers. The “Death Camas” has WHITE flowers. Wild camas and death camas both have bulbs that look alike.

Propagation by Seed: Sow seeds in Autumn (October or November) when weather cools. Spread fields with straw then burn to kill grass, weeds, and shrubs. Drill seeds with a no-till planter at 5 pounds per acre in rows spaced 6 to 14 inches apart. Furrows should be 1/4 to 1/8th inch deep. Broadcast 10 pounds of seed per acre then harrow lightly or gently roll to press seed into the soil surface. Alternatively, cover seeds with a thin layer of peat or similar mulch not more than 1/2 inch deep. Shallow seed depth is critically important — deeply sown seeds will not germinate. Seeds should be pelleted for best economy. Mix clay with phosphate rock or bone meal to coat seeds.

Propagation by Bulbs, Offsets, or Cloves: Plant bulbs 4 to 6 inches deep. Plant cloves 2 to 3 inches deep. Plant bulblets = offsets 3/4 to 1 inch deep. Set bulbs, offsets, and cloves pointy side up. Space plants 6 inches apart, equidistantly = 174,240 plants per acre. Bulbs take 2 or 3 years to reach harvest size. Do not gather bulbs until plants bloom. (Plants may take 5 years to flower).

Agronomy Note: Most camas plants only form bulbs and offsets, but some make cloves. For highest yields, plant cloves in fields isolated from bulbs. Cloves can out-yield bulbs by 400% to 500%. Cloves take 2 or 3 years to make harvest-size bulbs. Seedlings take 5 or 6 years to reach harvest size.

Chilling Requirement: Seeds must be vernalized = stratified or they will not germinate. Seeds and bulbs must have 60 to 90 days of cold weather or refrigeration at 34 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Bulbs will not flower unless properly chilled. Seeds must be chilled in MOIST = DAMP soil or they will not sprout.

Dormancy: Not all camas seeds or bulbs will sprout when expected. Bulbs and seeds can “sleep” for 2 years before germination. This may be due to complex dormancy or poor growing conditions = planting holes too deep, soil too dry, or climate too warm. 10% to 15% of camas seeds and bulbs may be recalcitrant = not germinate on time. Remember that camas is a wild plant with unpredictable behavior. Be patient and let nature take its course.

Soil: Camas thrives in moist clay loams with high organic mater contents. Topsoils that are well aggregated and drain freely are ideal for camas growth. Forest clearings, old beaver meadows, and river flood plains are good locations for planting camas.

Lime: Camas are like tulips or onions. They grow best in slightly acidic soils = pH 6.5 to 6.8. To balance overly acidic soils, apply 1 ton per acre of agricultural limestone, crushed shells, or wood ashes yearly.

Fertilizer: Camas is a wild plant that relies on natural soil fertility. Only small amounts of nutrients are needed. Chemical fertilizers should be applied sparingly to growing plants only. 40 pounds of elemental phosphorus per acre is sufficient for good bulb production. Use phosphate rock powder or bone meal for organic plantings. Deposit 1 level teaspoon (2,527 pounds phosphate rock or 2,165 pounds bone meal per acre) in the bottom of each planting hole. Set the bulb or clove directly on top of the powder. Alternatively, broadcast fertilizer in early Spring when plants are actively growing.

Rule-of-Thumb: Think of camas as a midget onion or tulip that does not need much plant food. Cut fertilizer application rates by 80%, especially nitrogen. Too much nitrogen decreases bulb yields.

Micro-Nutrients: Some soils are deficient in micro-nutrients like boron, cobalt, copper, manganese, molybdenum, zinc, and other vital minerals. Micro-nutrient deficiencies are easily corrected by applying 500 pounds per acre of fritted trace elements once every 5 years. Alternatively, provide trace element salt blocks to cattle grazing in rotation. Micro-nutrients are spread over fields as cows defecate.

Sunlight: Camas tolerates light shade but grows best in open fields or meadows with 8 or more hours of sunlight daily.

Water: Camas thrives in temperate climates with 40 or more inches of precipitation (rain and snow). Irrigate 1 inch weekly, as needed, until flowers begin to fade. If irrigation is not possible, plant camas near ponds, streams, springs, seasonal wetlands, swales, or anywhere soil is moist.

Grazing: Animals may be pastured on camas fields any time bulbs are dormant. Fence camas meadows tightly to keep out pigs. Hogs dig up and eat camas bulbs.

Harvest: Wild meadows should be harvested when plants are blooming to avoid confusion with “death camas”. Edible camas has blue or purple flowers. Death camas has white flowers. Cultivated fields may be gathered any time after foliage dies back. For best yields harvest camas fields by hand. Gather bulbs with a garden fork, shovel, trowel, foot plow, or a stout digging stick. Retain large bulbs (at least 0.75-inch diameter). Replant small bulbs and offsets. Separate bulbs with cloves from round bulbs. Plant cloves in another field. Dig out and discard any plant with white flowers.

Agronomy Note: Sort bulbs and offsets by size and replant in separate plots. This will make future harvests easier and more productive. Save the very largest bulbs for seed production or breeding.

Camas Field Management: Camas is a wild plant best left alone. Little management is necessary or desirable. Fields should be burned periodically to kill grass, shrubs, and trees. Because camas grows very slowly, it is convenient to harvest fields on a 5 or 6-year rotation cycle. This allows plants sufficient time to grow optimum size bulbs. Be patient. Wait until camas plants flower before gathering bulbs. ONLY HARVEST PLANTS WITH BLUE OR PURPLE FLOWERS.

Yield: 330 pounds per acre is a good annual yield from a wild camas meadow. Remember: Do not dig up a plant unless it is blooming. Keep big bulbs. Replant little bulbs. DESTROY ANY PLANT WITH WHITE FLOWERS.

Cooking: Camas bulbs contain large amounts of indigestible inulin that cause severe bloating and flatulence. Prolonged heat converts inulin into fructose, a simple sugar easily digested. Wash bulbs thoroughly, remove skins and roots, then wash again. Place clean, wet bulbs into a steamer basket then COOK GENTLY AT 212 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT FOR 36 HOURS until bulbs caramelize = turn dark brown like pancake syrup or molasses. (Replenish steam by adding water every 2 to 4 hours). Alternatively, enclose wet bulbs in a tightly sealed roasting pan then bake gently at 200 degrees Fahrenheit for 36 hours. Low, moist heat is essential to prevent camas bulbs from burning. Properly cooked camas bulbs are very sweet, approximately 34% fructose by wet weight. Baked or steamed bulbs taste like sweet potatoes.

Drying: Caramelized camas bulbs should be flattened so they dry faster. Dehydrate for 24 hours at 200 degrees Fahrenheit to prevent bulbs from burning.

Storage: Dry camas bulbs keep fresh for years if stored in air-tight containers. Dry air and high sugar content prevent spoilage.

Nutritional Analysis: Camas food values vary widely depending on location and growing conditions. There might also be genetic variation as well. The following numbers are averages expressed as percent by oven dry weight of raw (uncooked) bulbs: Protein = 9% to 15%. Total Carbohydrates (sugars, starches, and fiber) = 80%. Sugars and Starches = 37% to 65%. Fiber = 3% to 22%. Lipids (fats, oils, and waxes) = 3% to 12%. Minerals (and other residuals) = 4%. Caloric Value = 390 calories per 100 grams of fresh (uncooked) camas bulbs. Sample size = 200 bulbs from 10 wild camas meadows. Note: Inulin is the principal carbohydrate in camas bulbs. Cooking converts indigestible inulin into digestible fructose. Samples of baked or steamed bulbs contain approximately 34% fructose by wet weight. Translation: Baked camas bulbs are nearly twice as sweet as a ripe (spotted) banana.

Market Potential: Camas bulbs have little or no market potential now or in the foreseeable future. Long growing times, low yields, and high harvest and processing costs make this crop unsuitable even for upscale niche markets. Nobody wants to spend 36 hours to cook a sweet potato the size of a quarter. 20 years of plant breeding and agronomy might change this outlook. Camas might eventually have a specialty market like canned yams. At the moment, the only market for camas seeds and bulbs is for planting wildflower gardens.

Related Publications: Biological Agriculture in Temperate Climates; Crops Among the Weeds; Managing Weeds as Cover Crops; Trash Farming; Wildcrafted Potatoes.

Would You Like to Know More? For more information on biological agriculture and root crops, please visit: http://www.worldagriculturesolutions.com –or — send an e-mail to: worldagriculturesolutions@gmail.com — or — mail your questions to: Eric Koperek, Editor, World Agriculture Solutions, 413 Cedar Drive, Moon Township, Pennsylvania, 15108 United States of America.

About the Author: Mr. Koperek is a plant breeder who farms in Pennsylvania during summer and Florida over winter. (Growing 2 generations yearly speeds development of new crop varieties).

Index Terms: American Indian Agriculture; Camas (Camassia quamash); Edible Wild Plants; Fructose; Giant Camas (Camassia leichtlini); Indians of North America (agriculture); Inulin; Perennial Crops; Root Crops; Wildflowers.

Original Publication Date: November 1972, Warren, Pennsylvania.

Update: August 2023, Venus, Florida.