Camassia 'Blue Candle' - 10 pieces

CHF 38.25
CHF 38.25
Camassia 'Blue Candle' - 10 pieces

Camassia 'Blue Candle' - 10 pieces

Camassia 'Blue Candle'

CHF 38.25
CHF 38.25
  • Long, straight spikes of blue star-shaped flowers
  • Flowers in May and June, after daffodils and tulips
  • About 70–90 cm tall, well above the foliage
  • Good cut flower for tall vases
  • Naturalises and returns for many years

'Blue Candle' belongs to a new generation of camassias with particularly long, upright flower spikes. The blue star-shaped flowers open from the bottom upwards and stand high above the foliage. In late spring the variety adds a clear vertical line to borders and meadows and returns year after year.

About this variety

The name suits it: each spike of 'Blue Candle' looks like a slender candle being lit from the bottom upwards. The star-shaped flowers are a bright, clear blue and sit densely along sturdy stems. The variety is part of a newer camassia line with a sturdier habit and longer flowering.

At about 70–90 cm, 'Blue Candle' belongs in the middle of the perennial border or in a naturalistic meadow. It fills the gap between the last tulips and the early summer perennials. It looks lovely among grasses, next to violet alliums or in front of dark shrubs, where the blue really glows. It shows to best effect in groups of ten or more.

Bees and bumblebees like to visit the open star-shaped flowers. For the vase, cut the stems when the lower flowers are open; the upper ones will follow. In the right spot, camassia slowly naturalises and forms ever larger clumps over the years without you having to do much.

Planting

Plant the bulbs from September to November about 10–15 cm deep and 15–20 cm apart. Set them pointed end up in groups. A sunny to partially shaded spot with moist, loamy soil is ideal. Camassias also tolerate damper soils in which other bulbs would rot.

Care

Leave the foliage after flowering until it turns yellow so that the bulb can gather strength for the next year. If you want the plants to naturalise, leave the seed heads standing. In a meadow, do not mow until the foliage has died back. The soil must not dry out in spring.

Specifications

  • Botanical name: Camassia 'Blue Candle'
  • Genus: Camassia
  • Class: Various
  • Supplied as: Flower bulbs
  • Flower colour: Blue
  • Fragrant: No
  • Flowering time: May, June
  • Flowering season: Late spring, Early summer
  • Height: 80 cm
  • Spread: 50 cm
  • Habit: Upright, Clump-forming
  • Position: Sun, Partial shade
  • Suitable for: Bed, Wildlife garden and meadow, Cutting garden
  • Soil type: Loamy
  • Drainage: Well-drained
  • Soil moisture: Moist
  • Soil pH: Neutral
  • Soil note: Suitable for many Swiss garden soils. A loose structure and good drainage matter more than a particular soil type.
  • Planting time: August, September, October, November, December
  • Planting depth: 4–6 inches
  • Spacing: 5.9–7.9 in
  • Number per m²: 25
  • Hardiness in Switzerland: Hardy in Switzerland
  • Hardiness by location: Hardy, also at higher altitudes
  • Overwintering note: Generally hardy in garden soil in Switzerland. At high, windy sites and in containers, plan extra winter protection and avoid winter wet.
  • For containers: Only partly suitable for containers
  • Container note: Only recommended in a sufficiently large, stable, well-drained container.
  • Cut flower: Suitable as a cut flower
  • Naturalising: Suitable
  • Naturalising note: Can return in a suitable spot and form larger groups over time.
  • For bees and butterflies: Pollinator-friendly
  • RHS hardiness: H4

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