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Fritillaria species: A
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 acmopetala is found in Turkey (South western and south Anatolia), Cyprus and Lebanon. Its habitat is scrub, corn fields and open woods up to 1000m.
Cultivation Group: A This handsome and easily-grown species requires a hot, sunny, free draining position if grown in the open ground, or it can be grown in the bulb frame or alpine house. |
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Fritillaria affinis This SW American woodlander is very variable in both in size and shade of the flowers but note its whorled leaves.
Cultivation Group: A, but during its dormancy it should be kept cool and a little moist. Opinions differ as to whether to remove the bulbils which form around the bulb or not. |
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Fritillaria affinis var. tristulis is a dark coloured form occuring only in coastal sites in Marin County in California, U.S.A. where it grows on cliff tops in clay soils.
Cultivation Group: A, but during its dormancy it should be kept cool and a little moist. |
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Fritillaria agrestis is a rare central Californian endemic commonly called "stinkbells" due to its foul odour. This is one
of the Californian grassland species which revels in vernally moist clay soils
which dry out in summer when the bulbs are shaded by the tall grass.
Cultivation Group: A, but with deeper planting than most others. |
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Fritillaria albidiflora Very similar to F yuminensis but the flowers are smaller and pure white. It has a very prominent circular nectary. From the very north western corner of China where it borders Kazakhstan and Russia.
Cultivation Group: B |
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Fritillaria alburyana comes from eastern Anatolia in Turkey where it appears soon after snow-melt. It inhabits screes and other rocky places at altitudes of 2000-2900 m. This is a beautiful species with delicate, pinkish flowers.
Cultivation Group: A. It requires a cool, moist growing period, and should not be dried out excessively when dormant. A moisture-retentive compost seems to suit it although, like many snow-melt species, it is not an easy plant to grow in cultivation. It is probably best grown in the alpine house or bulb frame. |
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Fritillaria alfredae ssp alfredae This rare Lebanese woodlander is rarely cultivated and has not been maintained in cultivation over long periods so it may be quite difficult. It grows in quite deep shade of evergreen oaks
Cultivation Group: A but in woodland soil which should be dry in summer |
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Fritillaria alfredae ssp. glaucoviridis A woodlander from southern Turkey in the Amanus Mountains and as its name suggests, is particularly glaucous. It is a much
leafier version of Fritillaria alfredae subsp alfredae.
Cultivation Group: A and in warm shade |
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Fritillaria alfredae ssp. platyptera This native of the central Levant frequents the shade of deciduous oak scrub and woodland.
Cultivation Group: A and in warm shade. It grows fairly easily. |
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Fritillaria amabilis is a Japanese species occurring widely in Southern Honshu and Northern Kyushu with a wide altitudinal range. Although quite variable, it is distinguished by having narrowly campanulate flowers with white anthers.
Cultivation Group: D Likes a "woodland" type growing compost with leafmould, bark and grit. Keep shaded and moist at all times. |
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Fritillaria amana comes from Turkey (Amanus), where it inhabits rocky slopes usually in the shade of trees, at 1400 - 1700 m. Note
the bright green stem leaves and the round green nectary.
Cultivation Group: A. Cultivation is easy in an alpine house or bulb frame, in gritty soil with added leafmould, though it seems to dislike too much heat. |
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Fritillaria anhuiensis From forests, thickets and grassy slopes in Anhui and Henan provinces in China. It has quite large, nodding tubular-campanulate flowers which may be yellowish white or yellowish green and tessalated with purple.
Cultivation Group: D |
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Fritillaria ariana Largely a native of Afghanstan and just crossing some borders. Distinguished from Fritillaria gibbosa by its unspotted flowers and lanceolate lowest leaves.
Cultivation Group: C |
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Fritillaria armena This is widespread in the mountains of Eastern Turkey. Similar to both Fritillaria pinardii and Fritillaria caucasica but note the that the flowers are brown both inside as well as outside (yellow inside in Fritillaria pinardii) and the style is trifid with 1-3 mm branches (long, thin and undivided in Fritillaria caucasica.)
Cultivation Group: B |
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Fritillaria argolica This seems to represent an intermediate form between the yellow tipped F rhodocanakis and F graeca. It can have fully dark brown flowers or there is a narrow yellow distal margin to the segments.
Cultivation Group: A |
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Fritillaria assyriaca This has a wide distribution in Eastern Turkey and Iran often occupying disturbed habitats. Note the narrow tubular flowers usually of a dusky brown. The style is stout and undivided and the leaves narrow, linear and usually canaliculated. The striped form shown in the first photo is the common form of Fritillaria assyriaca throughout western Iran. It is likely that it will be described as a new subspecies of Fritillaria assyriaca in the future.
Cultivation Group: A or B |
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Fritillaria asumaniae A newly described species from pine woods in S Turkey. The flowers are dark brown – black occasionally sparsely spotted with white and characteristic dark brown anthers.
Cultivation: Not in cultivation but try Group A if it becomes available. |
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Fritillaria atrolineata Very similar to, if not the same as Fritillaria assyriaca described from rock ledges to the west of Lake Urumiyeh. It is named for its black linear nectary. Like Fritillaria assyriaca it has linear, canaliculate leaves.
Cultivation Group: A or B |
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Fritillaria atropurpurea
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Sorry, we have no photo of this species. Could you provide one?
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Fritillaria aurea occurs in Turkey (central and southern Anatolia) on north-facing rock ledges and late snow patch hollows, usually on limestone formations, and in juniper forests. This is a beautiful species, with large showy nodding flowers.
Cultivation Group: B For best results it is best grown in a gritty, free draining compost in the alpine house or bulb frame, where the flowers can be protected. |
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Fritillaria ayakoana
Cultivation Group: D |
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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.