Camassia cusickii, Cusick's camas, is a narrow endemic of Oregon's Wallowa Mountains, where it grows in seasonally wet meadows that dry out completely by midsummer. It carries the largest bulbs of any Camassia species — some reaching the size of a small onion — which store enough energy to push up sturdy stems of soft, powder-blue, star-shaped flowers in mid-spring, a paler and more silvery blue than the deeper violet-blue of common or great camas.
Despite its narrow wild range, it is easy and adaptable in cultivation, tolerating the same heavy, seasonally wet clay soil that suits the rest of the genus. Plant the large bulbs in fall in full sun to light shade, in drifts for the best display, and let the foliage die back naturally each summer as the bulbs go dormant. It naturalizes well by offsets over time, and its distinct powder-blue color makes an effective contrast planted alongside the deeper blue-violet of common or great camas rather than as a replacement for either. As with the rest of the genus, correctly identify bulbs before any thought of eating them — death camas (Anticlea elegans) is toxic and can resemble camas foliage.
Bacterial Soft Rot
Rhizomes turn mushy and foul-smelling; foliage yellows and pulls away easily at the base. Often follows borer damage or overly wet soil.
Cut away all soft tissue back to firm rhizome, let it dry, and dust the cut with sulfur. Improve drainage and avoid burying rhizomes. Destroy badly infected plants.
Crown Rot
Lower leaves yellow and wilt; the base of the rosette turns brown and soft, sometimes with white fungal threads at the soil line. Plants collapse in wet conditions.
Remove and destroy affected plants. Improve drainage and avoid overhead watering. Do not mulch directly against the crown. Space plants for airflow and avoid replanting in the same wet spot.