Camas (Camassia species, primarily Camassia quamash) is a perennial bulb plant native to western North America. It grows in moist meadows and prairies, producing tall spikes of blue to purple flowers in spring. The starchy bulbs, which resemble small onions, have been a critically important food source for Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest for thousands of years.
The bulbs are rich in inulin, a complex carbohydrate that converts to fructose during prolonged cooking. Traditionally, camas bulbs were slow-roasted in earth ovens for one to three days, transforming them into a sweet, dark, caramelised food that could be dried and stored for months. Camas meadows were actively managed through controlled burning to maintain growing conditions.
Camas remains culturally significant to many Indigenous communities. It has attracted growing interest from foragers and native plant enthusiasts, though it’s not widely commercially available. Care must be taken in identification, as the toxic death camas (Zigadenus species) grows in similar habitats.
How it's produced
Camas is primarily wild-harvested from meadows and grasslands across the Pacific Northwest of North America. Indigenous communities traditionally managed camas prairies through regular controlled burns that suppressed competing plants and promoted bulb growth. Bulbs were dug with digging sticks after flowering, when the blue flowers made it easy to distinguish edible camas from the similar-looking but poisonous death camas.
Small-scale cultivation of camas is practised by native plant nurseries and some specialty growers, though it remains a niche product. The bulbs take several years to reach harvestable size from seed. There is no significant commercial production in Australia, where camas is occasionally grown as an ornamental.
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