Camassia leichtlinii 'Alba'

Overview

Camassia leichtlinii 'Alba': The White Meadow Candle

Add a touch of stately elegance to your borders and wild gardens with Camassia leichtlinii 'Alba'. Standing significantly taller than its blue cousins, this variety is prized for its tall, majestic spikes (racemes) covered in dozens of creamy-white, star-shaped flowers with contrasting yellow anthers. Native to North American moist meadows, it is an absolute saviour for gardeners with heavy, damp, or clay soils where other bulbs struggle to survive. Blooming in late spring, it acts as a perfect bridge plant, filling the gap between the last tulips and the first flush of summer perennials. It is a robust and hardy perennial that will naturalise gracefully over time, forming impressive clumps that return year after year.

Key Features

• Clay Buster: One of the very few ornamental bulbs that genuinely thrives in heavy clay and moist conditions, making it ideal for pond margins or bog gardens.

• Statuesque Height: Reaching up to a meter in height, these tall white spires add vertical drama to the back of a border without needing staking.

• Long-Lived Perennial: Unlike tulips that may fade after a few years, Camassia gets better with age, establishing itself as a permanent fixture in the garden.

• Pollinator Friendly: The nectar-rich flowers open progressively from the bottom up, providing a sustained feeding station for bees and butterflies over several weeks.

Gardener's Tip

Camassia blooms have a unique way of fading. As each star-shaped flower finishes, the petals twist together tightly to enclose the seed pod, keeping the spike looking tidy rather than messy. For a classic "White Garden" look that tolerates damp soil, plant these alongside Zantedeschia (Arum Lilies) or white Irises.

Specifications