Camassia leichtlinii Wild hyacinth (Hyacinthaceae)

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Camassia leichtlinii
Wild hyacinth
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The Camassia leichtlinii plant species is found in Western N. America - British Columbia to S. California. It is a member of the Hyacinthaceae family. Common gardeners may know the plant as Wild hyacinth. Some home gardeners know the variety as C. esculenta leichtlinii. Chlorogalum leichtlinii.

Cultivation | Propagation | General Uses
Medicinal | Edible Uses

Latin Name:  Camassia leichtlinii
Common Name:  Wild hyacinth
Family:  Hyacinthaceae
Author:  (Bak.)S.Wats.

Known Hazards:  None known

Mature Height:  1   Mature Width:  0.2

Habitat:  Meadows, prairies and hillsides that are moist, at least in early spring.

Edible Uses: Bulb - raw or cooked[94, 105, 177]. The raw bulb has a mild, starchy flavour, but a gummy texture that reduces the enjoyment of it somewhat[K]. It is excellent when slow baked, however, developing a sweet flavour and making a very good potato substitute[183, 256, K]. The coked bulb can also be dried for later use[183] or ground into a powder and used as a thickener in soups or as an additive to cereal flours when making bread, cakes etc[161]. The bulbs can be boiled down to make a molasses, this was used on festival occasions by various Indian tribes[183]. One report says that the bulbs contain inulin (a starch that cannot be digested by humans) but that this breaks down when the bulb is cooked slowly to form the sugar fructose which is sweet and easily digested[256].

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Cultivation | Propagation | General Uses
Medicinal | Edible Uses

The information above has been supplied solely via the hard work and dedication of the team at 'Plants for a Future'.
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