Toxicoscordion venenosum aka Watson's Death Camas

Toxicoscordion venenosum grows from a bulb. It belongs to the Melanthiaceae family. Its native range spans western Canada to northwestern Mexico. Kew puts it in the temperate climate zone. It is not native to Great Britain or Ireland. The Royal Horticultural Society calls it death camas. Other names are death quamash and hog's potato. Chicago Botanic Garden calls it meadow deathcamass. In these sources, all these names mean the same species.

Its old scientific name is Zigadenus venenosus. The RHS lists this as a synonym, or another name. Chicago Botanic Garden keeps its plant record under that name. This link helps readers check garden records and plant labels. Records with the old name can refer to this species. Kew calls its growth form a bulbous geophyte. Chicago also groups it with bulbs. Its listed form is upright. It does not spread or trail. Neither garden source gives its full-grown height or width.

Chicago Botanic Garden lists white flowers for this species. Its bloom dates cover March through April and May through June. These entries give a bloom span from March to June. The record does not say what shape each flower takes. Nor does it give facts about fruit or seeds. The sources give no details of leaves or stems. White blooms and upright growth are thus its known visual traits.

For garden care, Chicago Botanic Garden lists full sun and moist soil. These are the clearest facts on growing needs here. It lists USDA hardiness zones 5 through 7. The record gives no soil texture or pH needs. It gives no plan for when to water. Nor does it rate how well plants cope with drought. The broad native range does not prove those garden needs. The supplied RHS record gives no UK hardiness rating.

Chicago Botanic Garden lists uses as a specimen plant and groundcover. It also notes that the plant resists deer. This does not mean it has no other pests. The records name no diseases or other pest problems. They give no proof of parts to eat or uses as medicine. Despite the common names, these excerpts do not state that it is toxic. They do not prove it is safe for people or pets.