Wild Hyacinth (Camassia scilloides)
kah-MASS-ee-ah scilloides

Deciduous Perennial Clump-Forming, Upright in the Asparagaceae Family
 
Buy Wild Hyacinth
Size Notes Price Availability
Tray of 10 4" pots Field $96.88 Likely available
11/1 - 11/8
1/24 - 4/4

Note: Spring ephemerals have evolved take advantage of sunlight which penetrates deciduous forests before the trees fully leaf out and then shut down for the year by the end of spring to rest until the next year. When buying them in summer you typically won't see anything above the ground until the next April!
This lovely native has grass-like leaves and open spikes of six- petaled, light blue flowers. Found in prairie and open woodland. Well suited to naturalizing; a bulb but also self seeds.

Camassia scilloides is a striking, spring-blooming perennial native to eastern North America. This bulbous plant produces a basal rosette of strap-shaped, grass-like leaves that emerge in early spring, followed by tall, erect flower spikes reaching 12-24 inches tall. In late spring, the flower stalks burst forth with clusters of showy, star-shaped, blue-violet or white blooms that resemble wild hyacinths. The nectar-rich flowers attract a variety of pollinators, including bees and butterflies. After flowering, the foliage often goes dormant in the summer heat. Atlantic Camas thrives in consistently moist, well-drained soil and partial shade to full sun, depending on the climate. Its bold, architectural form and showy blossoms make Camassia scilloides an excellent choice for planting in borders, meadows, woodland gardens, or the edges of ponds and streams, where its unique flowers can be admired in the spring landscape.

Pros

  • Illinois native wildflower that naturalizes readily in prairies, open woodlands, and garden beds
  • Fragrant, bee-friendly spring flowers on tall, showy spikes
  • Virtually pest- and disease-free with very low maintenance once established
  • Thrives in both moist and average garden soil

Cons

  • Foliage dies back completely by midsummer, leaving a gap in the bed
  • Not reliably deer-resistant; foliage may be browsed
  • Easily confused with toxic death-camas relatives if foraging bulbs
Why Like Wild Hyacinth is one of the Midwest's loveliest spring ephemerals, lighting up prairies, open woodlands, and limestone glades with spikes of pale blue-violet, sweetly fragrant flowers just as spring reaches its peak. Look for it in undisturbed prairie remnants and open woodlands across Illinois, where its grass-like leaves and tall flower spikes appear briefly before the whole plant goes dormant for the rest of the year. Because it blooms and vanishes so quickly, finding a patch in flower feels like catching a small, fleeting seasonal event rather than a sure thing you can count on seeing.
 

Plant Data

Mature Size 18 - 24 inches tall. 8 - 12 inches wide.
Sun Exposure Full Sun - Partial Shade
Moisture Tolerance Medium - Wet: Tolerates conditions from medium-wet to medium-dry. Prefers consistent moisture while actively growing and blooming in spring, but handles drier conditions well once dormant for the summer.
Zones 4a - 8b (Usually hardy to -30° F)
Tags Attracts Bees, Attracts Pollinators, Bulbs for Fall Planting, Deciduous, Fragrant Flowers, Full Sun, Good for Rain Garden, Illinois Native, Low Maintenance, Medium, Native to North America, Naturalizing, Non-Allergenic, Partial Shade, Perennial, Prairie Garden, Showy Flowers, Spring Ephemeral, Tolerant of Clay Soil, Wet, Wet Site Tolerant, Woodland Garden
Bloom Period April to June
Flower Color Light blue
Animals That Use It

Seeds:

Photos of This with...

Ostrich Fern
 
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Pricing and Availability History

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Past Availability
2025 : 04/03 - 08/23
2024 : 05/01 - 07/06
2023 : 06/01 - 09/30

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Field-Grown vs. Greenhouse-Grown Plants

Plants which are well-adapted to our local climate are most often field-grown (outside). Field-grown plants are generally cheaper and have the advantage of already somewhat acclimated to our cold winters, but that means they’re not artificially far along in the spring and tend to bloom at the normal time in our area.

Spring annuals and tender perennials are typically grown in Greenhouses so they can be ready and luxurious exactly when customers want them. Some perennials are also “forced” into early bloom in greenhouses. In May, there can be a very big difference between field-grown and greenhouse-grown plants of the same type. The latter typically look good right away (so they’re a great choice where that’s important), but we typically pay a premium for it.


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No Pricing or Availability Right Now

We order from a rotating cast of the best nurseries in the Great Lakes region. It looks like we've offered this plant in the past, but the nurseries we're working with this week don't appear to have it in stock at the moment.

Our goal is to bring as many plants together under "one roof" as possible, so we'll try hard to make it available again in the future!