Camassia quamash Blue Melody

Camassia quamash Blue Melody is a variety of camas that is distinguished by its beautiful green foliage marginated with cream yellow, which is decorative even outside of flowering. Its long linear leaves are gathered in a beautiful tuft from which in spring beautiful spikes adorned with bluish mauve stars emerge. It is a very hardy and resistant bulbous plant, easy to grow in any slightly moist soil, in the sun or in partial shade. It naturalises in the sun over time, forming beautiful flowered carpets in a meadow and in borders. The flowers are nectar-bearing and they are very pretty in a vase. 

Camassia quamash or C. esculenta "Blue Melody" is a perennial plant of the hyacinth family, just like hyacinths. It eventually forms large generous clumps. Its vegetation emerges from the ground in spring. With rapid growth, the plant reaches a height of 40-45 cm (16-18in) when flowering. Its flower stalks 25-30 cm (10-12in) long appear between late May and early June. They are adorned with flowers with 6 thin petals measuring 2-3 cm (1in) in diameter. The leaves, linear and lanceolate (shaped like a lance), measure from 20 to 50 cm (8 to 20in) long and are bright green in the centre, adorned with yellow to pale yellow margins. They dry up in late summer and are absent in winter.

Native to North America, very cold-resistant, this Camassia Blue Melody returns every year, becoming more vigorous over the years. It can be found in perennial beds, wild gardens, wet meadows as well as near bodies of water. You can also place it as a border in your garden. It is a good flower for bouquets. Its bulbs are not eaten by rodents and can therefore be left in place. Camassia is a robust plant of great ornamental value, which deserves to be included in many gardens. It is extraordinary for taking over from early spring bulbs, and combines beautifully with tulips, peonies and chelones in colourful scenes. In a natural garden, it can be allowed to spread in a flowered meadow.

Furthermore, the bulbs of the Camassia quamash were once consumed by Native American tribes or used to make flour. The taste resembles that of sweet potato when grilled or boiled. However, all other parts of the plant are toxic. The word 'Quamash' means 'sweet' in the Native American language.