Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Camas bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Camas, Quamash, Common Camas, Blue Camas (Camassia quamash).

More about camas

About Camas

Camassia quamash · also called Camas, Quamash · flowering

A native North American bulb bearing tall spikes of violet-blue to deep blue star-shaped flowers in late spring. Historically a vital food source for many Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest. Thrives in moist meadow soils and naturalises well in borders and prairies. Deer and rodent resistant. Hardy to zone 3. Not toxic to pets.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Failure to flower after transplanting: Camas bulbs resent disturbance and may skip a year of flowering after being lifted or transplanted. Plant in a permanent location in autumn at 8–10 cm depth and leave undisturbed. Allow 1–2 seasons for recovery if recently moved.

The reasons camas isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming camas traces back to one of these, roughly in order of how common they are:

Too little sun — most of these need full sun (or very bright light) to flower well; shade gives leaves, not blooms.
Too much nitrogen feed, driving lush foliage at the expense of flowers (very common with general or lawn feeds).
The plant has not been deadheaded, so it stops flowering once it sets seed.
Irregular watering — drought or waterlogging at the budding stage makes buds abort.
It is still too young or was checked by a transplant and is rebuilding before flowering.

Feeding camas a high-nitrogen general feed and growing it in too little sun — you get a big leafy plant and almost no flowers.

The fix — how to get camas to flower

Maximise sun. Give camas the sunniest spot you have — for most bedding and fruiting plants, more direct light directly means more flowers.
Switch the feed. Move off high-nitrogen feeds and use a higher-potassium "bloom" or tomato-type feed as it comes into flower.
Deadhead regularly. Remove spent flowers often to keep it producing more rather than stopping to set seed.
Water consistently. Keep moisture even through budding and flowering — drought-then-flood swings make buds drop.

Light and feeding do most of the heavy lifting here. Dial in the spot with the light guide for camas and get the feeding right with the camas fertilising schedule — the wrong feed (too much nitrogen) is one of the most common silent reasons a healthy plant makes leaves instead of flowers.

Bloom season and what to expect

Camas flowers across its growing season (mostly summer) and, kept fed and deadheaded, can bloom for many weeks or right up to frost.

Post-bloom care so it flowers again

Deadhead, keep feeding lightly, and many will rebloom; collect seed from the best plants at the end of the season if you want to grow them again.

For everything else this plant needs day to day, see the full camas care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Camas blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my camas flower?

Camas blooms on the season's growth given enough sun, warmth and the right feed — there is no cold or photoperiod trick, just good growing conditions and a bloom-leaning feed. The most common reason it is not happening: Too little sun — most of these need full sun (or very bright light) to flower well; shade gives leaves, not blooms.

How do I make camas bloom?

Give camas the sunniest spot you have — for most bedding and fruiting plants, more direct light directly means more flowers. Move off high-nitrogen feeds and use a higher-potassium "bloom" or tomato-type feed as it comes into flower.

When does camas normally bloom?