Camassia leichtlinii Aurora

Camassia leichtlinii 'Aurora' is an attractive perennial bulbous plant with a bushy habit. This cultivar stands out with its charming mauve flowering. In May-June, the stems, which can reach up to 90 cm in height, are covered with star-shaped flowers in a light purple-pink shade, fading to a very pale pink, with a bluish band on the reverse. The centre of the flowers is bright green and the flower clusters are sprinkled with golden yellow anthers. The flowers of Camassia open from the bottom to the top.

Camassia, also known as Quamash, is now part of the Asparagaceae family, like asparagus. Native to Oregon in the northwest United States, the plant is very hardy. It can be found in flower beds, borders, rockeries, fields, and rocky gardens, as it is a plant that adapts easily. Camassia leichtlinii takes its name from Max Leichtlinn, a 19th-century German horticulturist specialising in bulbs. 'Aurora' is a cultivar that reaches a height of 70 to 90 cm in adulthood. Its linear leaves are bright green and measure from 20 to 60 cm long. They form a basal tuft from which the flower stems emerge. The large open star-shaped flower spikes, held on flower stems, measure from 10 to 30 cm long. They appear in May and June. The inflorescence opens from the bottom to the top. The 4 cm diameter flowers are composed of 6 petals that twist as they fade. Camassia is a vegetable plant that has an edible bulb, consumed by Native American tribes. These bulbs, however, are not appreciated by rodents, which allows the plant to be among the most resistant bulbous plants like daffodils.

Camassia leichtlinii 'Aurora', a plant of wet meadows in its natural habitat, can be grown in full sun or partial shade in wet to moist, fertile, and humus-bearing soil. It tolerates slightly heavy clay soils as long as attention is paid to drainage during winter. Planted with spring bulbs such as alliums, Fritillaries, or Tulips, it brings life to flower beds with its beautiful, large flowers. Its unsightly foliage after flowering can be hidden by perennials with foliage or later flowering, such as Hardy Geraniums in the sun or Hostas and Heucheras in partial shade. In cottage gardens, Delphiniums or bellflowers take over. You can also grow Camassia in containers on a terrace or balcony. Its flowers are beautiful in bouquets.