FRITILLARIA SPECIES: M - N
Each species has been assigned a Cultivation Group, either A, B, C, or D. To view descriptions of these groups, click on Cultivation Groups or scroll to the bottom of this page where they are repeated.
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Fritillaria macedonica A high altitude plant of the Albanian mountains. It is very similar in general appearance to small forms of F. latifolia, but the lower leaves are opposite and the upper in a group of three. It also has fine teeth on the margin of the inner tepals unlike the latter. It is not easy to grow.
Cultivation Group: B in peaty soil would seem to offer the best chance of success. |
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Fritillaria maximowiczii A plant of far Eastern Russia and NE China. It has a single whorl of leaves and a single flower with a fimbriate edge to the tepals.
We have no experience of this in cultivation but Group D would be a good starting point ensuring that it remains cool at all times. |
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Fritillaria meleagris is widely distributed across Europe to Russia. It occurs in damp meadows in peaty or chalky soil, and in woods in both sun and shade. An easy garden plant.
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Fritillaria meleagris ssp. burnattii This is very like a shorter stemmed form of F meleagris but the leaves are all grouped near the top of the stem and the style is smooth rather than papillose. It is known in several areas of the southern Alps and although introduced into cultivation several times has so far not persisted.
It would be worth trying as for Group B in loose peaty soil kept cool and slightly moist in summer. |
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Fritillaria meleagroides An inhabitant of wet soils, seeps and ditches throughout the continental climate zones of eastern Europe and central Asia as far as NW China. The single bract leaf serves to distinguish it from the closest relative F montana.
Cultivation Group: B It seems quite easy to grow in damp peaty soil which remains slightly moist in summer. |
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Fritillaria messanensis ssp. messanensis A very graceful plant with tall willowy stems and usually a single flower. This subspecies has a green fascia and three bract leaves in a whorl. The leaves are 0.7- 1cm broad. Italy, Greece.
Cultivation group: A All subspecies are quite easy to grow. |
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Fritillaria messanensis ssp. gracilis As subspecies messanensis but it lacks a fascia. The flowers are usually an orangey brown colour. NW Greece and Adriatic coastal mountains
Cultivation Group: A |
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Fritillaria messanensis ssp. neglecta As subspecies messanensis but there is only a single bract leaf. Istrian peninsular and a few places in the Croatian mountains.
Cultivation Group: A |
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Fritillaria messanensis ssp. sphaciotica Like subspecies messanensis but with narrower leaves (0.2 – 0.4mm broad). Endemic to Crete.
Cultivation Group: A |
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Fritillaria michailovskyi This widely available plant is quite easily recognised by its bicoloured flowers which are brown almost half the distal area being golden yellow. Some forms of F kurdica approach this but have rather longer nectaries.
Cultivation Group: A |
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Fritillaria micrantha Not a very showy species owing to its small rather dull coloured flowers. It grows in scrub and woods in the Sierra Nevada of California.
Cultivation Group: A with plenty of bark in the compost. |
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Fritillaria milasensis This recent split from F bithynica usually has striped flowers and a single bract leaf although green-flowered forms are commonly found in the population.
Cultivation Group: A Easily grown |
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Fritillaria minima A lovely yellow-flowered species which is not too easy to cultivate. Its shiny green leaves and slender, minutely papillose style serve to separate it from the other yellow flowered species.
Cultivation Group: B with a cold winter. |
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Fritillaria minuta This is the only species with bright green leaves and a dull orange flower. It grows in seasonally moist habitats in SE Turkey.
Cultivation Group: B Grows readily |
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Fritillaria monantha It can be recognised by its large flowers that can be from greenish yellow to pale purple, tessellated or spotted with yellowish brown or dark purple, sometimes very heavily so, combined with nectaries 6–10mm long and broad often whorled leaves. In this regard it looks rather like F thunbergii.
We have no experience of growing this in cultivation but it is widely grown in China for medicinal use. |
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Fritillaria montana From amongst scrub in southern Europe. It has three bract leaves arranged in a whorl which are not tendril-like and the lowest stem leaves are also in a whorl.
Cultivation Group: A with some summer shade. |
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Fritillaria mughlae A recent split from F forbesii for the plants of the Datça Peninsular of western Turkey with glaucous fleshy leaves unlike the bright green leaves of the latter. It grows on serpentine slopes at quite low altitude.
Cultivation group: A with some difficulty. |
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Fritillaria muraiana The only Japanese species with red-purple anthers and a broadly campanulate flower.
Cultivation Group: D with plenty of bark chips. |
Sorry, we have no photo of this species. Could you provide one?
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Fritillaria mutabilis The name represents plants which are intermediate between F graeca and F thessala and it is of intermediate appearance. It grows in most of the mountains either side of the Gulf of Corinth.
Cultivation Group: A with a cool summer. |
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Cultivation Groups
Group A
Those from a Mediterranean-type climate zone at low to medium altitude. The major precipitation is during the winter and early spring but the summer is dry. The bulbs are dormant in summer but often protected from the heat of direct sunlight by tall herbs, shade of trees or by coastal fog.
It is worth trying these in well-drained soil in the open garden but unless your climate is Mediterranean in character, dryness in the summer will usually need to be contrived by overhead protection or planting amongst established, deciduous, shrub or tree roots. These species tend to be straightforward to grow in pots with summer dryness. In the northern hemisphere, watering is best started sparingly from mid-September, increasing once the shoots appear until dormancy sets in in May.
Group B
Those from high altitude and/or inland sites. The major soil moisture in this case is provided by melting snow in the spring and, although occasional thunder storms may occur, the summers tend to be dry but not so hot. In winter the soil is normally covered in snow so the temperature and soil water content is constant for what can be 5 or 6 months of winter during which little growth occurs.
These are normally more difficult in the open garden but can be grown in gritty compost in pots in a cold greenhouse with watering as above. Some benefit from refrigeration in winter in order to maintain dormancy.
Group C
Semi Desert plants. These are from inland sites with cold dry winters, some snowfall, spring snowmelt, and then very dry summers.
In most countries these are not suitable for outdoor cultivation but they grow well in pots in gritty compost under glass. They are best kept dry until early winter when water can be given sparingly until growth appears in spring.
Group D
Those from areas with summer rainfall and cool/cold dry winters. For example, those species from the Himalayas, SW China and NE China, Japan and SE Siberia. These all grow in fairly cool conditions throughout the year, often under protective shade of shrubs or deciduous trees. Snow and snowmelt are important but so is summer rainfall. The main growing season is through spring but root growth can start during the summer, coinciding with the summer rains.
These seem to do quite well in cooler climates grown either in the open garden or in pots of gritty, humus soil, kept outside with perhaps a little protection from excessive winter rain.
Group A
Those from a Mediterranean-type climate zone at low to medium altitude. The major precipitation is during the winter and early spring but the summer is dry. The bulbs are dormant in summer but often protected from the heat of direct sunlight by tall herbs, shade of trees or by coastal fog.
It is worth trying these in well-drained soil in the open garden but unless your climate is Mediterranean in character, dryness in the summer will usually need to be contrived by overhead protection or planting amongst established, deciduous, shrub or tree roots. These species tend to be straightforward to grow in pots with summer dryness. In the northern hemisphere, watering is best started sparingly from mid-September, increasing once the shoots appear until dormancy sets in in May.
Group B
Those from high altitude and/or inland sites. The major soil moisture in this case is provided by melting snow in the spring and, although occasional thunder storms may occur, the summers tend to be dry but not so hot. In winter the soil is normally covered in snow so the temperature and soil water content is constant for what can be 5 or 6 months of winter during which little growth occurs.
These are normally more difficult in the open garden but can be grown in gritty compost in pots in a cold greenhouse with watering as above. Some benefit from refrigeration in winter in order to maintain dormancy.
Group C
Semi Desert plants. These are from inland sites with cold dry winters, some snowfall, spring snowmelt, and then very dry summers.
In most countries these are not suitable for outdoor cultivation but they grow well in pots in gritty compost under glass. They are best kept dry until early winter when water can be given sparingly until growth appears in spring.
Group D
Those from areas with summer rainfall and cool/cold dry winters. For example, those species from the Himalayas, SW China and NE China, Japan and SE Siberia. These all grow in fairly cool conditions throughout the year, often under protective shade of shrubs or deciduous trees. Snow and snowmelt are important but so is summer rainfall. The main growing season is through spring but root growth can start during the summer, coinciding with the summer rains.
These seem to do quite well in cooler climates grown either in the open garden or in pots of gritty, humus soil, kept outside with perhaps a little protection from excessive winter rain.