Common Camas Seeds
Common Camas Seeds - Camassia quamash - speenhw
speenhw
- Hardy to Zone 4
Full Sun
- Germination Tested February 10, 2025: 100%
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Common camas, called speenhw in Hul'q'umi'num', is an important food plant of Indigenous Peoples on the West Coast that was extensively cultivated and traded with inland nations. It was/is cultivated in fields with an overstorey of Garry Oak trees. The meadows need to be carefully tended and burned seasonally to keep shrubs from taking over. In many traditions, families owned specific patches of camas that they cultivated and harvested from. Local lore says that camas bulbs used to grow as large as your fist! Unfortunately it's rare to see bulbs of that size today. Camas is a plant that requires (or at least greatly benefits) from human relationships to grow well. Humans are a part of nature- let's participate!
Camas bulbs contain a healthy fibre called inulin. They need to be cooked long and slow to make them more digestible. Traditionally they have been cooked in pit ovens. Fermenting the bulbs like sunchokes may be an interesting preparation method to explore.
Camas makes showy periwinkle blue flowers, which are an important food source for many specialist pollinators. The plants like dry summers, and can tolerate shallow soils and wet clay soils in winter. The plants will die back in the summer. The young plants look like blades of grass and take several years to size up and flower when started from seed, but they are worth the wait!
I was hesitant to offer seeds of this variety because of its significance to Indigenous Peoples in the area. But after hearing some incredible presentations from Jared Qwustenuxun Williams (Quw'utsun chef, Indigenous food champion, and more), I felt empowered to offer these seeds in an attempt to encourage more people to grow this plant. What I heard from Qwustenuxun is that Indigenous foods should be more widely available to everyone living on these unceded Indigenous territories, but there is not the supply available to make this a reality. There should be restaurants and institutions serving these foods. He encouraged farmers and gardeners from all backgrounds to grow these plants, and make them available to chefs and restaurants. We need both supply and demand for these important Indigenous foods to make a resurgence in local cuisines. Be a part of it!
I'll be experimenting with different ways to cultivate camas, with the hopes of making it available for the community to eat. If you have any insights into growing camas in a market garden context, please get in touch.
I collected these seeds beside a highway growing alongside Desert Parsley, somewhat near where a river meets the ocean, so I believe these plants may have been cultivated by the First Peoples of the area for many years. I made sure to replant seeds while I was harvesting, and I look forward to the seeds finding new homes in soils where they can be used for food and medicine without worry about road runoff.
100% of sales from this variety go to Indigenous Food Sovereignty projects. If you are an Indigenous person who would like to grow these seeds, please email us at grow@cicadaseeds.org and we will gift them to you free of charge.
Growing Instructions
Growing Instructions
Shipping & Returns
Shipping & Returns
We ship seeds via Canada Post within Canada for $6 to $8 depending on weight, United States for $20, and Internationally for $20*. Live plants, bulbs, and bulbils can only be shipped within Canada.
Shipping in Canada
We ship seeds in Canada via regular letter mail, which is an untracked service, and usually takes 1-3 weeks to arrive once we fulfill your order, but occasionally orders take longer, especially to Ontario and East.
Customers can now opt for tracked, express shipping options at checkout if you require faster delivery.
Larger bulbs and plants are sent via tracked flat rate box.
Shipping to the US
We now require all US shoppers to obtain a Small Lot Seed Permit before we can mail your seeds. It's free to apply and you will likely be granted the permit instantly. We appreciate if you can email us your permit as soon as you can after your purchase.
How to apply for your Small Seed Lot Import Permit:
- Go to https://efile.aphis.usda.gov/s/
- Select PPQ-587 in the dropdown menu and click "Get Started".
- Login and follow the instructions to obtain a permit. It's best to list "Eligible Taxa" instead of listing all the species you'd like to import so you don't need to worry about missing any species you ordered.
- Once you receive your permit, promptly email us 2 documents: a copy of your permit and a copy of the yellow/green shipping labels. Tell us if which USDA station you want us to send the seeds to. If not mentioned we will choose one. Our email is grow@cicadaseeds.ca
- We are not able to send any pepper or tomato seeds, or any live plant materials to the US due to restrictions.
After receiving your documentation, we will mail your seeds to the inspection facility. We will ship via tracked parcel, and you will receive the tracking number when your order has shipped. Orders will be mailed first to a plant inspection facility in the US, then they forward the package on to your address after inspection. This can take several weeks, depending on how long the inspection takes. Unfortunately we are not able to replace packages that are confiscated or destroyed by customs, or for any duties or tariffs placed on your order.
Shipping Internationally
International customers can select tracked or untracked shipping at checkout. The package will list the contents as "Garden Seeds". It is your responsibility to ensure you have the required import permit. We are not able to send any live plant materials internationally. Cicada Seeds will not be responsible for any orders held or confiscated by customs, or for any additional duties or tariffs placed on your order.
International shipping countries include: Austria, Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong SAR, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom.
This list may change without notice. Sometimes Canada Post will not allow us to ship to certain countries due to wars or natural disasters, see this page for delivery service alerts: https://www.canadapost-postescanada.ca/cpc/en/our-company/news-and-media/service-alerts.page
Please reach out if your country is not on this list, email us and we will try to arrange an alternate shipping option.
If you have any issues with your order, please contact us within 60 days and we will do our best to make it right.
*Shipping fees listed here are in Canadian dollars.
Ecologically Grown
Ecologically Grown
Seeds are grown ecologically without the use of chemical pesticides or fertilizers.
