Camassia

[Andrew]

Or alternatively they could be a selected form of C. leichtlinii that has been established in the bulb trade specifically because of its ability to increase vegetatively?

There must be different selected forms,

this is my white group, the tall spikes are Cammassia leichtlinii semi-plena, hopefully out soon.
Around them are the single 'Alba' form,

some have dark anthers

and some have light ones.

[Ed Alverson]

It is interesting to see photos of some of the selected forms of Camassia leichtlinii.  I find myself wondering if any of them might actually be the result of hybridization with other species, particularly Camassia cusickii, which is the species that has the strongest tendency to produce new bulbs by offsets.

I have a clump of Camassia cusickii in my garden, from purchased bulbs, here are some photos.  Despite this being an Oregon endemic, I have not yet had a chance to see it in the wild, as it is a local endemic in NE Oregon, in a locality that is very much out off the beaten path.  Hopefully one of these years I will make it out to Wallowa County when it is in flower.

Camassia cusickii is named for William C. Cusick, and important early plant collector in Oregon in the late 1800's and early 1900's, he has many plant species named after him, as well as the crucifer genus Cusickiella, a segregate of Draba.

Camassia cusickii is a nice plant, very robust with racemes of many flowers.  The color is a light blue, not a real standout, and the display would probably be more effective in a larger planting.

[Peter Korn, Sweden]

Camassia scilloides

[Maggi Young]

Hi, Peter, welcome!!  Fermi tells us your garden is looking great and you have yet more projects planned.
Hope you and the family are all very well .

[Paddy Tobin]

With apologies,

I now realise that the  photograph I posted as Camassia leichtlinnii 'Alba' is in fact Asphodoline albus.

Paddy

[Gene Mirro]

I found these growing by the thousands along I-5 near Essex, Washington.  They are quite short, no more than a foot tall.  Can anyone ID them for me?  Thanks.

[Lesley Cox]

A Scilla maybe? If in such numbers, surely something native to Washington. I don't know if any scillas ARE.

[Anthony Darby]

Camassia of some sort, but which?

[Ed Alverson]

Gene's plants from Washington state are Camassia quamash, and best fit the ssp. azurea because  of the light blue tepals.  Ssp. azurea is endemic to a fairly small portion of the southern Puget Sound region and adjacent Olympic peninsula.  Ssp. maxima, which also grows in western Washington, has tepals that are a darker purplish blue.  Camassia leichtlinii ssp. suksdorfii also grows in that area but it is very local and grows only in wetter habitats. That particular locality, known as "Grand Mount Prairie", has some of the best remaining native prairie habitat in western Washington.  It is a great place to visit in May and early June when the wildflowers are blooming. 

[Lesley Cox]

Ed, since you are obviously one of the locals, would you please tell me how to pronounce the name "Puget" correctly. I frequently come across it in American books about the area and am never sure.

[Ed Alverson]

Around here, Puget is pronounced "pew-jet" or "pew-jit", with the emphasis on the first syllable.  But since the sound is named after Peter Puget, an officer in the British navy in the late 1700's (on Vancouver's expeditions) I can only guess the "proper" pronounciation!

[Lesley Cox]

Thanks Ed. I was sort of hoping for something vaguely French (Peu as in Peugeot) or Poo but am pleased it's not Pudge. Though perhaps it really should be, taking into account the British Naval Officer.

[Anthony Darby]

You'll find a pronunciation here Lesley:http://www.answers.com/topic/puget-sound. Click on the wee speaker icon and you'll hear puget sound. Like many English names, it looks as if it has a French origin?