Why not try Camassia
Its tall blue tapers are as easy to grow as they are striking, yet many gardeners tend to overlook May-flowering camassia. Hazel Sillver reckons they’re missing a trick
May has long been viewed as a lull month between spring and summer. But forget that. In fact, there are many gorgeous plants in bloom at that time, and one of the stars of the show is the under-grown bulb camassia. This border stalwart reliably produces tall blue candles of flowers, in sun or semishade, yet it seems to remain under the radar for many.
Hailing from the damp meadows of North america, where they stain the land blue in late spring, camassia were once an important food crop for Native americans. Roasted or boiled, the nutritious bulbs taste similar to sweet potato; they can cause flatulence, however, so are perhaps best grown for their beautiful flowers instead!
Plant now and, depending on the variety, they will bloom at some point between the end of april and early June. The generous starry flowers are usually blue, but there are also white and pink forms; and they stand on tall stems, providing vertical accents in the late spring border. They have an image of being ‘posh’ bulbs (they feature in Prince Charles’ garden at Highgrove), but you don’t necessarily have to be royalty to afford them. They range in price from the inexpensive C. quamash (a dazzling blue species that naturalises well) to those that are sterile and slow to bulk up, and therefore more costly.
Since they grow wild in wet meadows, it’s no surprise these bulbs demand a moisture-retentive soil.
“The most common mistake with camassia is to plant them in an area that is too dry for sustained periods of time,” says Stella Exley, who holds a National Collection of Camassia at her specialist nursery, Hare Spring Cottage Plants in North yorkshire. “Camassia thrive on moisture, and if subjected to dry conditions for any length of time, they won’t flower well. Ideally, the base of the plants should be in shade to retain as much moisture as possible.”
Ever since Stella grew camassia for Chris Beardshaw’s gold medal-winning garden at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in 2015, these wonderful plants have become better known. and deservedly so for – in the right conditions – they are reliable, rarely succumbing to pests and diseases or winter weather, and are happy in a variety of situations.
They can be naturalised in long grass or woodland (perhaps with bluebells), grown in containers, or enjoyed in borders. Combine them with other moisture-lovers, such as Aquilegia vulgaris var. stellata ‘Black Barlow’ (burgundy), Geranium sylvaticum ‘Mayflower’ (violet-blue), and Iris ‘Sparkling Rose’ (pink). as long as their feet are moist, they will delight you year after year with blue spires that stretch up towards the blue sky.
“Ideally, the base of the plants should be in shade”