Toxicoscordion venenosum

Common Names

Death Camas, Meadow Death Camas, Grassy Death Camas, Poison Camas

Summary

Meadow death camas is a perennial herb in the Melanthiaceae native to western North America. It grows from a bulb with basal grass-like leaves and stems up to about 70 cm tall, and bears cream-colored to white flowers in dense, pyramidal to tight raceme clusters; inner tepals have a yellow-green oval basal spot. All parts are poisonous, containing zygacine and other toxic esters of zygadenine, making it dangerous to humans and livestock.

In cultivation or wildflower plantings, it occurs in dry meadows, dry hillsides, sagebrush slopes, and montane forests, reflecting a preference for sunny, dry habitats; all parts poisonous, so consumption by people or animals is hazardous; it is sometimes grown in wildflower meadows with caution for herbivores; flowers appear in spring to early summer (April–July), and bulbs can survive fires, contributing to persistence in fire-prone landscapes.

Lifecycle

Perennial

Height

6-20 inches

Spread

2 feet

Hardiness Zones

Zones 3b-9b

Sunlight Requirements

Ideally full sun or partial shade.

Soil Type

Dry, sandy, rocky, well-drained soil

Soil Drainage

Well-drained soil

Bloom Color

Cream-colored or white

Bloom Time

Spring

Seasons of Interest

Spring, Summer

Propagation Methods

Seeds

Attracts Wildlife

Attracts bees, Attracts other pollinators