Camassia (was On trilliums and more)
jflintoff@aol.com (Tue, 06 Jun 2006 12:52:23 PDT)

There is a camas that has been in the trade for many years ( though I haven't seen in it several years ) that is sold as C.quamash ' San Juan Form ' . It is a very desirable garden plant. Substantial dark blue flowers on a very short stem. Despite the name it is actually a dwarf form of C. leichtlinii var. suksdorfii. The epithet suksdorfii covers all the blue forms as opposed to the creamy white type plant of C leichtlinii var. leichtlinii that only grows around the Roseburg, Oregon area. C leichtlinii var. suksdorfii occasionally has white forms that are distinct from the creamy type, though in my experience not such valuable garden plants as the type.

Another camas that is a favorite here is the eastern C scilloides that flowers dependably but increases only slowly by offsets. Its light blue flowers are always welcome in May. Unlike Jane, I admire C. cusickii very much and always await its long racemes of light blue florets with keen anticipation.

The very rare southern Oregon C howellii with its medium dark flowers grows here but with no abandon.

Jerry John Flintoff
Vashon Island,Washington,USA
Zone 8
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