notes and musings from a perennial gardener
Here’s a native bulb with an fascinating history you might not know about. Camassia, also called camas, Great Camas, camash, quamash, Indian hyacinth or wild hyacinth, is comprised of five species native to the Midwest, Pacific Northwest and British Columbia. There is also an eastern species C. scilloides, or Atlantic camassia. They are all members of the asparagus family.
If you’re looking for something a little different, this member of the onion family won’t disappoint. There are about thirty cultivars to choose from, all striking. Alliums are easy to grow and pack a lot of punch for a bulb. Though still not very well known, they are steadily gaining in popularity, Once you have them, you’ll wonder how you did without them for so long.
At the end of this article is a summary profile chart.
I must confess that other than chives, the more ornamental alliums were new to me too, until just recently. But wow do I love them now. When the setting sun backlights the white cultivar Mount Everest, it’s as if my garden is full of floating paper lanterns. Beguiling!