Trusted Landscape Architects and Designers in Duncan, BC

The mighty Camassia quamash or Camas flower. Flooding local parks and trails in our neighborhood and own own gardens atEden HQ. But what makes camas one of our most culturally important plants is the nutritious bulb, that has provided sustenance and wealth to the Indigenous peoples of this region long before the lands were settled upon by visitors. Camas thrives in the sunlight and naturalized in park wilds, prairies or savannas, most especially after disturbance. nWhen harvested Camas bulbs were “traditionally cooked in large earth ovens or pits. Fire-heated rocks were placed in the oven and then lined with leaves of skunk cabbage, maple or ash. The raw camas bulbs were placed on the leaves, then covered with another layer of leaves and then earth. Upon retrieval from the oven one to three days later, the camas could be eaten immediately, dried for later use, or pressed into cakes.nThese cakes were highly valued as a portable food that could be easily stored for the winter or carried while traveling; they were traded extensively..”...