Camelina
Camelina sativa, also commonly known as camelina, winter camelina, gold-of-pleasure or false flax is a flowering plant in the Brassicaceae (mustard family). It is grown as an oilseed and livestock feed crop primarily in Europe, Canada and the U.S. mainland but is found in cultivation or the wild in many other areas of the world.
Camelina is a fast growing, annual crop and can be harvested in 4-5 weeks after planting the seeds. This short life cycle, its ability to grow well in low fertility soils, under stress conditions and produce high yields of seeds makes it a better choice for production than other oilseed crops (Anonymous 2022). It is superior to canola, another crop in the mustard family, because of its greater resistance to drought and tolerance to spring freezing conditions.
Camelina is also used as a cover crop to reduce erosion, provide forage for wildlife and to absorb excess nutrients, reducing nitrogen and phosphorus contamination of surface and groundwater resources.
 Camelina sativa Plant |
 Flowers of Camelina sativa |
Uses
Human Food
The seeds are nutritious, containing 38 to 43% oil and 27 to 32% protein (Gugel and Falk 2006). Camelina oil has a pleasant almond nut like flavor and aroma and can be used as an oil for salad dressing and in cooking. There is increasing interest in camelina oil because of its high content of omega-3 fatty acids and resistance to oxidation and rancidity. It also rich in antioxidants, primarily tocopherols, with one of the highest contents of Vitamin E of natural tocopherol sources.
Increased production of camelina as an alternative seed oil crop may be helpful in reducing the impacts of potential shortages of cooking oil in the U.S. (Anonymous 2022).
 Seeds of Camelina sativa |
 Camelina Oil |
Livestock Feed
Camelina is used as a cattle feed supplement and as an ingredient in feeds for laying hens, broiler chickens and turkeys.
Production of Sustainable Fuels
Camelina oil has been subject to increasing research and development for its uses as a renewable biodiesel, biolubricant and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). An innovative project across the Hawaiian Islands was recently initiated to grow camelina for these uses. It was established and is being carried out by partnership between Pono Pacific Land Management, LLC (Pono Pacific), a private natural resource conservation company, and Par Hawaii, the largest supplier of energy products in Hawai`i. Par Hawaii invested $90M. Field growing trails are in progress on four islands and Par Pacific is completing a project to retrofit a refinery for SAF production. Production of these fuels is expected to begin in 2025. According to Johnathan Marstaller, Pono Pacific President the use of camelina-based jet fuel will reduce carbon emissions by about 80%. (Livingston 2024).
Cultivation
Plant Diseases
Blackleg also known as phoma stem canker, is a major disease of canola and other crops in the Brassicaceae family caused by the fungal pathogen Leptosphaeria maculans. The mold-like asexual anamorph reproductive stage is referred to as Phoma lingam.
Camelina is highly resistant to blackleg and does not serve as a host for Leptosphaeria maculans [(Fleenor 2011), (Ehrensing and Guy 2008) and Séguin-Swartz et al. (2009)]. However, seeds from some areas are subject to quarantines to control this disease. The Oregon Department of Agriculture and the Washington Crucifer Quarantine require all Brassica family seed lots to be tested and found negative for blackleg (Phoma lingam) by an approved, certified lab.
Refer to the review article by Séguin-Swartz et al. (2009) for additional information about the diseases of camelina.
Genetics and Cultivars
Camelina appears to be best adapted to areas like steppes and prairies that have cold, semiarid climates (Francis and Warwick 2009). Many named cultivars of camelina have been developed. New varieties of winter and spring camelina have shown great potential for adaptability, performance and suitability for market acceptance in warmer climates (Anonymous 2022).
Crop Trials in Hawai`i
With researchers at the Hawaii Agricultural Research Center in Waipahu, Pono Pacific is testing many varieties of non-GMO camelina seeds under various growing conditions on the islands of Maui, O`ahu and Kaua`i.
A first trial with generic camelina seeds planted in July resulted in bolting (flowering to soon, stunting growth). Pono Pacific will use more selective seed varieties, plant the crops during cooler months and determine those that are the most productive.
Overall, the initial results from the Hawaiian trials have been encouraging with yields reaching or exceeding those needed to be economically feasible. The material left over after seed extraction is also of interest to local cattle ranchers. It makes a good animal feed and may provide an alternative to high-cost hay shipped from the mainland (Wessendorf 2025).
In June 2025 we conducted germination tests on the camelina seeds of various origins that we were going to offer for sale and research purposes. All the seeds had a high germination rate. As the potted seedlings continued to grow under greenhouse conditions all of them bolted to bloom at a height of only about 8 -10cm (3-6in) as shown in the photo below. From left to right, the origins of the seeds from which the seedlings were grown are Minnesota, the Pacific Nortwest and Saskatchewan. These observations of early bolting following summer plantings are similar to those reported by Pono Pacific.
 Bolting Seedlings of Camelina sativa |
Development of a Seed Bank to Support Hawaiian Projects
In 2025 we began to offer small quantities of camelina seeds, primarily intended for experimentation and testing by local farmers. The seeds are all from the U.S. mainland and Saskatchewan and include one certified organic variety from the Pacific Northwest. We are hoping to build a seed bank and obtain seeds from Hawaiian growers and other tropical areas soon. These may be better adapted to Hawaiian growing conditions.
Seeds for Sale
Camelina seeds can be purchased though our ONLINE STORE.
Additional Information
There is now a voluminous and rapidly growing list of publications on camelina. As of this writing (July 2025) a search conducted PubMed Central found about 3,000 references on Camelina sativa. For additional information the publication by Neupane et al. (2022) provides an excellent review.
References
Anonymous. 2022. Camelina Variety Trials Show Potential across the U.S. AgriThority website. https://agrithority.com/agrithority-camelina-trials-show-potential-in-u-s/ Accessed 07 July 2025.
Ehrensing, Daryl T. and Stephen O. Guy. 2008. Camelina. Oregon State University Extension Service, EM 8953-E, January 2008. Cited in Fleenor 2011.
Fleenor, Richard A. 2011. Plant Guide for Camelina (Camelina sativa). USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service, Spokane, WA 99201. https://plants.sc.egov.usda.gov/DocumentLibrary/plantguide/pdf/pg_casa2.pdf Accessed 08 July 2025.
Francis, A. and Warwick, S. I. 2009. The biology of Canadian weeds. 142. Camelina alyssum (Mill.) Thell.; C. microcarpa Andrz. Ex DC.; C. sativa (L.) Crantz. Can. J. Plant Sci. 89: 791–810. Citation from Wikipedia.
Gugel RK, Falk, KC. 2006. Agronomic and seed quality evaluation of camelina sativa in western Canada. Can. J. Pl. Sci. 86: 1047–1058. Citation from Wikipedia.
Livingston SH. 2024. New initiative in Hawai`i could change the world’s carbon footprint. KHON2 News. https://www.khon2.com/local-news/a-new-initiative-in-hawai%CA%BBi-could-change-our-carbon-footprint/ Accessed 6 July 2025.
Neupane D, Lohaus RH, Solomon J HQ, Cushman JC. 2022. Realizing the Potential of Camelina sativa as a Bioenergy Crop for a Changing Global Climate. Plants (Basel, Switzerland), 11(6), 772. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11060772
Séguin-Swartz, G., Eynck, C., Gugel, R. K., Strelkov, S. E., Olivier, C. Y., Li, J. L., … Falk, K. C. 2009. Diseases of Camelina sativa (false flax). Canadian Journal of Plant Pathology, 31(4), 375–386. https://doi.org/10.1080/07060660909507612
Ufi E. 2024. Par Hawaii reaches milestone in $90M renewable energy investment. Pacific Business News. https://www.bizjournals.com/pacific/news/2024/11/22/par-hawaii-unveils-new-storage-feedstock-tanks.html?utm_source=st&utm_medium=en&utm_campaign=ae&utm_content=HI&j=37615515&senddate=2024-11-25&empos=p6 Accessed 6 July 2025.
Wessendorf C. 2025. The Tina Oilseed That Could Help Power Hawai`i’s Energy Future. Hawaii Business Magazine. January 8, 2025. https://www.hawaiibusiness.com/the-tiny-oilseed-that-could-help-power-hawaiis-energy-future/ Accessed 07 July 2025.
Page last updated July 8, 2025.