I think one of the more unusual bulbs we have in the spring garden is the regal Crown Imperial. Its flowers are bold, bright, and indeed very stately. Standing tall at about 3 feet high, the colours stand out from the rest of the emerging leaves and bulbs in the borders, and if they are near a path the pretty flowers can be inspected at close quarters. . . .

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Posted by linette applegate Reblogged by Old Roses to fritillaria on 2008-04-24, 06:23:44

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I love the nodding, bell-shaped flowers on these spring-bloomers. Even more so when they're orange, which for some reason is always the most difficult color to find. After visiting several local nurseries last fall, to no avail, I found the 'Crown Imperials' in stock at Michigan Bulb Company. . . .

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Posted by Jessica Damiano Reblogged by Old Roses to bulbs, fritillaria on 2007-10-18, 06:39:07

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My Fritillaria meleagris (snake's head fritillaries) are blooming. Here we see them facing the menace of aggressive neighbors -- not in the 100-year-old house at top, but rather the Lonicera stump behind them, sprouting freely now in its attempt to recreate itself as a 10' x 10' bush, and the Aegopodium podagraria groundcover which has spread around and well beyond them. Both invasives are covered in the previous post.

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Posted by DWPittelli Reblogged by Old Roses to fritillaria on 2007-05-10, 00:09:39

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Fritillaries are a favorite around here; like most gardeners, Fritillaria imperialis (the crown imperial) was the first one I grew. A relative newcomer to our garden is a close relative of crown imperials; it's Fritillaria raddeana. Both of these fritillaries are from central Asia, both being about two foot tall, and very early out of the ground, blooming in early April. . . .

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Posted by IBOY Reblogged by Old Roses to fritillaria on 2007-04-17, 23:39:25

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Fritillaria camschatcensis is the black fritillary; sometimes called black Sarana, chocolate lily, or northern rice root (its bulbs look like clusters of little rice grains). It is native to the northern Pacific Ocean coast (PNW to Alaska, Siberia to Japan). It therefore likes a moister spot in the garden than most fritillaries; most of the garden fritillaries are native to drier climates (meleagris is another moisture-loving exception). The chocolate lily is slowly multiplying in our garden, though our seemingly perennial drought of the last ten years leaves it with but one or two flowers per stem, rather than a full cluster; it is still a very interesting plant for us, and never fails to elicit a fuss from garden visitors. There is a yellow version (aurea) now available at a dear price, but I've been scratching my head over why you'd want to pay much more for a form of this fritillary that substitutes pale yellow flowers for the rich maroon-purple of the regular plant.

reBlogged to fritillaria on May 15, 2006, 11:20AM

Posted by IBOY Reblogged by Old Roses to fritillaria on 2006-05-16, 11:45:29

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Fritillary pontica is another one of those fritillaries that is subtle to the point of invisibility; the flowers are pale green with maroon edging, overall becoming slightly pinker as the flowers age. The foliage is a typical elegant lanceolate gray-green. It likes early moisture, then drier in dormancy, with very light shade; I have it planted in front of some deciduous azaleas. It is native from Turkey through the Balkans. The Pontic Mountains are just south of the Black Sea, and the ancient Greek kingdom of Pontos encompassed this area of western Turkey. Fritillaria pontica again is one of the easier fritillaries; not quite uva-ulpis easy, but it will persist and multiply slowly if happy.

reBlogged to fritillaria on May 15, 2006, 11:43AM

Posted by IBOY Reblogged by Old Roses to fritillaria on 2006-05-16, 11:45:20

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Fritillaria involucrata is native to southern France, but does nicely here on a slightly dry slope, with its cool, lime green flowers, spotted with chocolate. 

I am fascinated by green flowers!

reBlogged to fritillaria on Apr 30, 2006, 11:18PM

Posted by IBOY Reblogged by Old Roses to fritillaria on 2006-05-01, 15:48:58

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Fritillaria acmopetala might be the overall most satisfactory fritillary; it is tall, elegant, with waxy, exotic flowers that are long-lasting, and every bulb is surrounded by babies. If you like fritillaries (and who doesn't) this bulb is for you. 

reBlogged to fritillaria on Apr 28, 2006, 9:07PM

Posted by IBOY Reblogged by Old Roses to fritillaria on 2006-04-30, 02:03:01

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reBlogged to fritillaria on Apr 28, 2006, 9:02PM

Posted by IBOY Reblogged by Old Roses to fritillaria on 2006-04-30, 02:02:59

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Fritillaria pallidiflora is tall and husky, with bluish-gray foliage contrasting with its pale lemon flowers... it's pretty foolproof in a sunny, well-drained spot. 

Posted by Reblogged by Old Roses to fritillaria on 2006-04-23, 09:49:08

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One of the more solemn little members of our garden flower chorus is Fritillaria uva-vulpis (syn. assyriaca), a somber grape color (thus sometimes called fox's grape) with a contrasting yellow interior . It is more elegant than spectacular, with its long, lanceolate foliage, its upright stature, and its small flowers that open just enough to give it a yellow lip. I don't remember any garden visitor ever noticing this little beauty unless I pointed it out, but our garden is richer from its presence. Native to the northern part of the Middle East, it is the easiest fritillary for most gardeners to grow, as it is drought-tolerant, liking a well-drained spot which dries during its dormancy, and a bit more sun than many fritillaries. It multiplies easily with these minimal requirements, soon forming colonies of little plants around each mother.

Posted by Reblogged by Old Roses to fritillaria on 2006-04-18, 17:38:29

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This is Fritillaria meleagris alba.

Posted by Reblogged by Old Roses to fritillaria on 2006-04-18, 17:38:17

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On a larger note, Fritillaria imperialis, the crown imperial, has formed some nice clumps; this is the yellow form.

Posted by Reblogged by Old Roses to fritillaria on 2006-04-18, 17:38:02

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The brick-red common crown imperial is still my favorite. There are many named selections of this plant, with slightly different shades of orange-red, but I can't imagine having enough sunny space to grow them... plus, the whole place would smell like a skunk factory.

Posted by Reblogged by Old Roses to fritillaria on 2006-04-17, 18:00:54

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A big old mess o' Fritillaria imperialis.

Posted by Reblogged by Old Roses to fritillaria on 2006-04-09, 09:58:07

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There's something magic about bulbs. It's kind of like the magic in seeds - you buy this little dessicated thing for not too much money, and you put it in the ground. Then later, maybe months later, something comes up out of that very same ground, and it's not dessicated and brown - it's alive and green and beautiful

I love this! Have to get some.

Posted by Reblogged by Old Roses to fritillaria on 2006-04-06, 17:39:02

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Compiled by the RHS Horticultural Advisory Service.

My fritillaria bulb rotted with all the rain we had last year.

Posted by Reblogged by Old Roses to fritillaria on 2006-04-06, 17:14:14

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The crown imperial, Fritillaria imperialis, is a classic in structure, with its hard, thick outer leaves pulled together like a rocket nose cone.

Posted by Reblogged by Old Roses to fritillaria on 2006-03-06, 17:39:00

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