Ookow Seeds (Dichelostemma congestum)

Like its relatives -- camas, brodiaea, and triteleia -- ookow produces an edible underground structure (a bulb-like corm in this case), and was once part of the diverse constellation of wild meadow root crops that grew abundantly along the West Coast from California to British Columbia.

Blooming in spring, ookow produces a tight cluster of 6 to 15 flowers on top of a bare stem, while its slender grass-like foliage dries up around the time of flowering. The result is an impressionist display of purple-ish flowerheads hovering above the ground with barely any foliage to support them.

Ookow matures at around two-feet tall, and prefers locations with full sun that are dry (at least in the summer months). This is an extremely long-lived plant, and not an easy one to grow from seed. Germination is maximized by extended exposure to cold and wet conditions.

Ookow co-mingles fantastically with camas, checkerlily, nodding pink onion, harvest brodiaea, and springbank clover to create a perennial food garden. With careful tending (i.e. regular digging and bulb division) such gardens can grow and persist for centuries. 

0.5 grams (approximately 200 seeds)