West Coast Wild Harvest Issue 1 Spring/Summer 2016 | Page 24

RARE SIGHTINGS Blue Camas A meadow of blue camas in bloom Flowers like a clear blue lake WORDS KAITLYN GENDEMANN B lue camas (Camassia quamash), a perennial lily found in the meadows and valleys surrounding the Cascade Range, was once an abundant food source and valuable commodity for the native tribes of the Pacific Northwest. Part of the Asparagaceae family, blue camas consists of an edible onion-like bulb, grassy leaves, and a multi-flowered stalk. Kno ݸ