Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Tender Perennial
Bulb or Corm or Tuber
Origin
Southern Africa
Northwestern United States
Types
Perennial
Camassia howellii, Camassia cusickii
Number of Varieties
50-
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Desert, Mediterranean region, Subtropical climates, Temperate Regions
Depression on prairies, Hillside, meadows
USDA Hardiness Zone
8-103-8
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
10-8
8-1
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
21,22
Habit
Clump-Forming
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
61.30 cm91.40 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
30.50 cm10.20 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Light Yellow, Brown
Blue, Violet, Ivory
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green, Brown
Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Gray Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Gray Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Gray Green
Several shades of Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Grass like
Long linear and narrow
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Medium
Medium
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
Late Spring, Early Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Rhizome division, Seedlings
From bulbs, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires regular watering
Average Water Needs, Does not require lot of watering, Medium, Never Over-water, Requires watering in the growing season
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove dead leaves
Prune after flowering, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Any balanced general purpose fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Nematodes, Scale
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
Showy
Showy
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Medium
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees, Birds, Butterflies
Flying insects
Allergy
Skin irritation
Asthma
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Beautification, Bouquets, Ground Cover, Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Ethnobotanic
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
-
Part of Plant Used
Root
Flowers, Root
Other Uses
Roots were worn to protect and strengthen the wearer, Used as Ornamental plant
Decoration Purposes, Showy Purposes, Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Bog Garden, Container, Feature Plant, Mixed Border, Tropical, Water Gardens
Foundation, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Wildflower
Botanical Name
DIETES bicolor
CAMASSIA cusickii
Common Name
African iris, Fortnight lily
Camassia, Quamash
In Hindi
African Iris
Camassia
In German
Afrikanische Iris
Camassia
In French
African Iris
Camassia
In Spanish
Iris africano
Camassia
In Greek
Αφρικανική Iris
Camassia
In Portuguese
Iris africano
Camassia
In Polish
Afryki Iris
Camassia
In Latin
African Iris
Camassia
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Spermatophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Asparagales
Asparagales
Family
Iridaceae
Asparagaceae
Genus
Dietes
Camassia
Clade
Angiosperms, Monocots
Monocots
Tribe
Irideae
-
Subfamily
Iridoideae
Agavoideae
Number of Species
3006
1
27800
👆🏻