Fritillaria

Fritillaria
A genus of bulbs native to western North America that require moist winters, spring moisture and dry summers. These bulbs require well drained soil and absolutely hate transplanting. Plant bulbs 4 times deeper than the width of the bulb. Divide bulbs at the same time as cutting back withered foliage. Grown from seed, they may take up to 7 years to bloom.

* photo of unknown internet source


Fritillaria acmopetala
Reaching up to 2 ( rarely over 1.5 ) feet, it is a native of Asia Minor.
The linear flowers are blue-green.
The hanging flowers are olive green and marked / striped purple. They are borne up to 3 per stem during late spring
Hardy zones 3 to 8 in full sun on just about any well drained soil.

Fritillaria affinis ( Checker Lily )
Reaching up to 3 feet in height, it is a woodland native to western North America ( from southwest British Columbia to Prince George, B.C.; south to California ).
The lance-shaped leaves are mid-green.
The nodding flowers are usually grayish-purple and stipled with bright green but can be variable in color. The flowers appear during mid to late spring.
Hardy zones 5 to 9 in partial shade on light, well drained soil. It prefers a mediterranean climate that is moist during winter and early spring then dry during summer.

Fritillaria assyriaca ( Purple Fritillary )
Reaches up to 20 inches, with nodding, purple ( yellow inside ) flowers that are borne on branched stems.
Hardy zones 3 to 8 in full sun on very well drained soil..
Fritillaria biflora ( Black Fritillary )
Reaches up to 15 inches, with purplish ( edged in cream ) flowers during spring. It is found in grasslands in much of coastal California and in the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
Hardy zones 3 to 8 in full sun to partial shade on very well drained soil.

Fritillaria camschatcensis (Kamchatka Lily )
Reaches up to 2 feet, and is native to western North America ( from the Aleutian Islands to central Alaska to Skagway, Alaska; south to Oregon ). It is also native to Kamchatka and northern Japan.
The lance-shaped leaves are up to 4 inches in length.
The flowers, up to 1 inch in length, are deep purple ( rarely deep red or black ), borne during mid-spring. Up to 6 flowers may be borne per stem.
Hardy zones 4 to 7 in light shade, requiring abundant moisture all year and humus-rich soil.

Fritillaria crassifolia var kurdica
A native of mountain plateau grasslands in western Asia, reaching only 4 inches in height.
The hanging flowers are yellow.
Hardy zones 6 to 8 in full sun on very well drained soil. It does not thrive where summers are wet.

Fritillaria davisii
Reaches up to 10 inches in height, with reddish-purple flowers.
Hardy zones 3 to 8 in full sun on very well drained soil.

Fritillaria grandiflora
A rare native of the Caucasus, bearing very showy, brownish-purple checkered flowers, up to 2.4 inches wide.
Hardy zones 6 to 8 ( 5 on protected sites ) in full sun on very well drained soil.

Fritillaria imperialis ( Crown Imperial )
A perennial bulb reaching up to 3 feet in height, that is native from Turkey to Kashmir. It is endangered in its native range.
The pointed, lance-shaped leaves are glossy bright green. They are borne in whorls around the stem.
The stems are topped by large, orange flowers, up to 2 inches in length.
Hardy zones 4 to 7 in full sun ( partial shade in warmer climates ) on fertile, very well drained soil. The bulbs should be planted 8 inches deep and 1.5 inches apart, during early to mid autumn.

* photo taken on Apr 16 2014 in Columbia, MD

* historic archive photo

'Aureomarginata'
Variegated.

'Maxima Lutea'
Yellow flowers.

'Rubra Maxima'
Reddish-orange.

* photos of unknown internet source

Fritillaria involucrata
Reaching up to 1 foot in height, it is native to woodlands of southern Europe ( France and Italy ).
The mid-spring, nodding flowers are olive-green with purple mottling.
Hardy zones 7 to 9 in partial shade on very well drained soil. It sometimes self sows in the woodland garden.

Fritillaria lanceolata ( Checker Lily )
A perennial, reaching up to 20 inches, that is native to western North America ( from British Columbia to Idaho; south to northern California ).
The checkered greenish-yellow and purple flowers are borne during spring.
Hardy zones 6 to 9 in full sun to partial shade on very well drained soil.

Fritillaria meleagris ( Guinea Hen Flower )
A fast multiplying perennial bulb, reaching up to 15 inches in height, it is native to meadows in Europe.
The linear leaves are gray-green.
The nodding white and heavily mottled deep reddish-purple flowers, up to 1.5 inches in length, are borne during mid-spring.
Hardy zones 3 to 8 in partial to full shade on moist, humus-rich, well drained soil. It thrives in the woodland environment.
Drought tolerant while dormant but requires consistent moisture during spring. The bulbs should be planted 5 inches deep and 6 inches apart during early autumn. Deer resistant.

* historic archive photos

'Alba'
White flowers; otherwise similar to species.

* historic archive photo

Fritillaria michailovskyi
A native to the Turkish mountains, it reaches up to 1 foot in height.
The very attractive, deep reddish-purple flowers, up to 1 inch in length, are tipped in yellow. Up to 5 flowers may be borne per stem during late spring.
The oblanceolate leaves are mid-green.
Hardy zones 5 to 8 ( 4 on protected sites ) in full sun on very well drained soil.

Fritillaria pallidiflora
Reaching up to 18 inches in height, it is native to China.
The attractive, lance-shaped leaves are gray-green.
The showy, bright greenish-yellow, nodding flowers, up to 1.5 inches in length, are borne on clusters during mid-spring.
Hardy zones 3 to 8 in partial shade on moist, deep, fertile, humus-rich, well drained soil. This easy to grow bulbaceous perennial often self sows in the woodland garden.

Fritillaria persica ( Yellow Fritillary )
A long-lived perennial, reaching up to 3 feet x 8 inches in size, it is native to western Asia from Turkey to Iraq. It is endangered in its natural range. It looks best planted in groups.
The narrow, lance-shaped leaves are gray-green.
The fragrant flowers, up to 1 inch wide, are deep purple. The very abundant flowers may number up to 30 per stem.
Hardy zones 6 to 8 in full sun on fertile, very well drained soil, it needs protection from late spring frosts and enjoys hot summers. The bulbs should be planted 6 inches deep and 1 foot apart during early to mid autumn.

* photos taken on Apr 23 2017 @ Brookside Gardens, Wheaton, MD

'Adiyaman'
Larger growing, reaching up to 4 feet in height.

Fritillaria pudica ( Golden Fritillary )
Reaches up to 9 ( rarely over 6 ) inches in height, it is native to mountains of the western U.S. ( from much of south-central British Columbia to southern Alberta to northeast Montana; south to northern California to northwest Colorado to central North Dakota ). It is only known to occur east of the Rockies in Canada in McLeod and Lethbridge, Alberta. It is endangered in Colorado and extinct in the wild in North Dakota.
The lance-shaped leaves are mid-green.
The fragrant, nodding, yellow to orange flowers, up to 0.7 inches long, are borne in clusters of 1 to 3 during early spring.
Hardy zones 3 to 8 in full sun on very well drained soil.

* photo taken by Mary Winter @ CalPhotos

Fritillaria purdyi ( Purdy's Fritillary )
The leaves, up to 6 inches in length, form a rosette. The foliage is grayish-blue. It is native to southwest Oregon and northern California.
The white ( striped reddish-brown ) flowers are borne on a stem up to 6 inches high. Up to 7 flowers may be borne per stem.
Hardy zones 5 to 8.

Fritillaria raddeana
Closely related to F. imperialis, it reaches up to 2.5 feet in height. It is native to northeastern Iran.
The fragrant, creamy-yellow flowers are borne during early spring.
Hardy zones 5 to 9, late spring freezes may be a problem.

Fritillaria recurva ( Scarlet Fritillaria )
Reaches up to 3 feet, and is native to the western U.S., from southern Oregon; south to northern California to nw Nevada.
The scarlet ( checkered yellow on the inside ) flowers are borne during spring.
Hardy zones 5 to 9 in light shade. Very hardy and adaptable, thriving in much of the U.S. and southern Canada.

Fritillaria thunbergii ( Thunberg Fritillaria )
A long-lived, fast spreading, upright perennial, reaching up to 2.6 feet, that is native to Kazakhstan and Tibet, though has naturalized on Honshu Island of Japan. The plants usually go dormant during early summer. The lance-shaped leaves, up to 5 x 1 inch in size, are bright blue-green.
The pale yellow ( spotted deep purple ) flowers are borne during mid-spring. Hardy zones 6 to 9 full sun to partial shade on moist, fertile, well drained soil. It is very easy to grow, even thriving in the hot humid southeastern U.S..

Fritillaria uva-vulpis
Reaches up to 1.5 feet in height.
The narrow lance-shaped leaves are glossy gray.
The oval flowers are purple with yellow petal tips.
Hardy zones 3 to 8 in full sun on fertile, very well drained soil.

Fritillaria verticillata
Reaches up to 2 feet in height and is native to forests in the mountains of central Asia.
The leaves are narrow and grass-like.
The flowers, up to 1.5 inches in length, are nodding and white to pale yellow. There is purple spotting on the inside.
Hardy zones 5 to 8 in full sun on moist, well drained soil.