Historical Context and Focal Species

Since pre-settlement days, herbaceous plants known as camas lilies (Camassia, Liliaceae, sensu lato) have dominated grassland prairie and oak savanna communities in the Pacific Northwest region of North America.  From California to coastal British Columbia, indigenous peoples used camas bulbs extensively, including the Nez Perce and the Kalapuyans of the Willamette Valley for whom camas was the most widely traded item apart from salmon (Gunther 1973, Stevens & Darris 1999). Traditional gathering sites were passed down across generations of tribal families who bartered camas for its value as a sweetener, food source, and as part of wedding and funeral rites (Stevens & Darris 1999).

Today, the two most prevalent species are: small or common camas (Camassia quamash) and great camas (Camassia leichtlinii).  These wetland plants produce spectacular floral displays from mid-April to early June:  the flowers are sometimes so dense and prolific that they resemble a blue lake (Murphey 1959).  Although plants grow from sea level up to 3300 meters, the two species vary slightly in habitat and geographic range: C. leichtlinii  appears to be more shade tolerant and has a relatively restricted distribution.