Meadow death camas

Discuss this plant with the guide — choose this profile as a possible match and prepare your observations for Colorado Plants & Practical Care.

Toxicoscordion venenosum

Native regional plant; death-camas poisoning hazard. B-deathcamas C-routt-guide

Potentially fatal ingestion; onion-like bulbs. Exposure help.

Identification caveat: Older sources use Zigadenus. T. venenosum includes named varieties; Colorado’s older county guide treats death camas as a group. Images show the species broadly and do not prove a particular variety or county occurrence.

Still researching this plant

This is a sourced working profile. Evidence is incomplete for Dogs & cats. Identification and source-photo limits are explained below. Independent botanical and veterinary review is pending. Uncertainty is not a finding that the plant is safe.

Three views of this plant

Source-identified reference photographs; these are not a complete identification key. A source location outside Colorado does not establish local occurrence.

Toxicoscordion venenosum: An upright cluster of small pale flowers above a basal group of narrow, strap-shaped leaves. — **whole plant** — An upright cluster of small pale flowers above a basal group of narrow, strap-shaped leaves.
NPS Photo · Public domain
Photo source and identification
Original record · Original image
Source scientific identification plus visual morphology review of the selected photograph. This is a source-identified reference, not a specimen-based taxonomic determination. The requested name and synonym Zigadenus venenosus are preserved. Other death-camas taxa were not substituted; identification follows the exact scientific source label.
Wikimedia server-resized derivative; no crop, colour change or generative editing. Gallery display preserves the full image; the catalog preview uses a CSS crop.

Toxicoscordion venenosum: Long, narrow basal leaves emerging in a tuft beside the flower stalk, among mixed grassland vegetation. — **basal foliage** — Long, narrow basal leaves emerging in a tuft beside the flower stalk, among mixed grassland vegetation.
paulexcoff · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo source and identification
Original record · Original image
Source scientific identification plus visual morphology review of the selected photograph. This is a source-identified reference, not a specimen-based taxonomic determination. The requested name and synonym Zigadenus venenosus are preserved. Other death-camas taxa were not substituted; identification follows the exact scientific source label.
iNaturalist large server-resized photo; no crop, colour change or generative editing. Gallery display preserves the full image; the catalog preview uses a CSS crop.

Toxicoscordion venenosum: A close view of numerous pale flowers and buds along a compact raceme, held in front of a hand. — **flower cluster** — A close view of numerous pale flowers and buds along a compact raceme, held in front of a hand.
paulexcoff · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo source and identification
Original record · Original image
Source scientific identification plus visual morphology review of the selected photograph. This is a source-identified reference, not a specimen-based taxonomic determination. The requested name and synonym Zigadenus venenosus are preserved. Other death-camas taxa were not substituted; identification follows the exact scientific source label.
iNaturalist large server-resized photo; no crop, colour change or generative editing. Gallery display preserves the full image; the catalog preview uses a CSS crop.

Recognize

Death camas has grass-like leaves, underground bulbs and clusters of pale yellow-white flowers. Do not taste a bulb or use onion-like appearance as an edible-plant test. ARS-deathcamas

Evidence scope: Death-camas group morphology.

Plants & habitat

The regional taxon T. venenosum var. gramineum occurs in grassland and pine openings. Death camas is an early-season grazing hazard. B-deathcamas ARS-deathcamas

Evidence scope: Regional variety and death-camas group.

People

Death-camas bulbs have caused severe and fatal human poisoning. Suspected ingestion requires emergency medical help. ARS-deathcamas

Evidence scope: Death-camas group including Z. venenosus.

Dogs & cats

The reviewed sources do not establish species-specific ingestion effects or a safe exposure amount for dogs or cats. Missing evidence does not establish safety.

Other animals

All parts contain poisonous alkaloids; cardiovascular failure can be fatal. Sheep are often affected, but cattle and horses are also at risk. ARS-deathcamas

Evidence scope: Death-camas group including Z. venenosus.

Before taking action

Confirm identification and the requirements of your county weed program. For chemical treatment, follow the current product label, including restrictions around animals and water. S27

References

B-deathcamas — Toxicoscordion venenosum var. gramineum, University of Washington Burke Herbarium; Don Knoke and David Giblin. Accessed 2026-09-07T01:34:00+00:00. Locator: Species descriptions, occurrence and hazard sections; food preparation and treatment instructions not adopted.
C-routt-guide — Routt County Weed Identification Guide, Routt County / Colorado State University Extension. Accessed 2026-09-07T01:14:14+00:00. Locator: Common weeds and poisonous plants; 2021 edition.
ARS-deathcamas — Deathcamas, USDA Agricultural Research Service. Accessed 2026-09-07T01:37:13+00:00. Locator: Description; toxicity; species group including Zigadenus venenosus.
S27 — 2103 – Colorado Noxious Weeds, PlantTalk Colorado · CSU Extension. Accessed 2026-09-07T00:23:57+00:00. Locator: List A, B and C management categories.

Content revised 2026-09-07 02:43:00Z · Source checks dated separately in the references.