Another Perfect Plant: Camassia leichtlinii ‘Sacajawea’

A beautiful cultivar of a Pacific Northwest native, Camassia leichtlinii ‘Sacajawea’ is a white flowered form of the traditionally blue flowered plant. As an added bonus the leaves are edged in white, creating a lovely variegated effect when the leaves are present. Found by Aad Kroon, this plant can be grown in wetter areas in full sun, though not in standing water. This is a summer dormant perennial so it disappears entirely after the leaves die back. A good naturalizer, Camassia are great in meadow plantings and perennial borders. Historically used as a food crop by Native Americans, Camassia bulbs require cooking or roasting before they become digestible by humans. Caution – if harvesting bulbs in the wild the ‘Death Camas’ (Zygadenus venenosus) grows in similar habitats and the bulbs look similar. Eating the Death Camas can be fatal.

References:
Brent and Becky's Bulbs
North American Native Plant Society
Van Engelen

Photo reference:
Fluwel