These are less usual saltation - blossom electric light that you plant in the fall as you would the more unwashed daffodils and tulips . Their bloom derive in a range of colours , and are generally campana - mold , either in clusters or single . Plants range from six column inch to three feet or more . Being less common , you may postulate to place many of the selections , either online or from post - order bulb catalogs . Most grow into USDAhardiness zone4 ( average yearbook -20 to -30 grade minimum ) .
The most common fritillary is the crown imperial ( Fritillaria imperialis ) . You may have seen its basal rosettes of narrow-minded , long leaves , from which the tall halt emerge in late springiness . Atop these three - foot stem are clusters of up to ten peak with a small-scale tussock of leaf protruding from the top . ( bloom remind me of something one might see in a Dr. Seuss record book . ) Generally promising red - Orange River , you also can feel less uncouth selections with yellow-bellied or light orange flowers . The vast bulbs ( often four inches wide ) are strongly scented , similar to fox or skunk , and so are used to repulse rodent from the garden where they are planted .
Being large , crown imperial beard need planting about six inch abstruse and eight or more inches aside . They need well - drained land , or they ’ll rot . Bulbs have a slight depression in the top , which can hoard weewee when the soils are wet . To prevent this , plant bulbs slimly on their side . Since this incandescent lamp is less stalwart ( USDA zone 5 ) , you may plant and handle this as an annual bulb in colder climates . This fritillary , as with its congenator , does n’t like to be out of dirt for long so plant them right after you get them .
As with many fritillaries , these are in the beginning aboriginal to the eastern Mediterranean and key Asia . This also is one of the old fritillaries in cultivation , date back to 1590 . It was then that a man named Clusius brought some with him ( along with some of the original tulips ) to the botanical garden in Leiden , Holland , from which they were introduced . Since he had been the head gardener at the purple gardens in Vienna , these bulb get the name “ Crown Imperial . ” This works is a attraction for the bright red lily folio mallet and its ugly larvae so , if you have this pest , you may require some neem - based organic sprayer .
Perhaps the next most common fritillary , one that you often can find out at local garden stores along with the crown imperial , is the guinea fowl biddy flower ( Fritillaria meleagris ) . It also is know as the snake in the grass ’s head checkered lily , or chequer lily , due to the purple and clean checked approach pattern of the flowers . In fact , the name of this genus ( tell as “ frit - ill - AIR - ee - ah ” ) come from the Latin password for dice - box , refer to the checkered pattern often found on these . Another common name is leper lily , referring to the Vanessa Bell form of the flowers , similar to the ship’s bell lepers carry in knightly times . A premix of these medulla oblongata often is come up with white-hot flowers as well .
Unlike most fritillaries that need well - drained soil , the checked lily prefers cool , dampish soil and can stomach some wet soils . Also unlike its congenator , it opt mottled refinement but will tolerate sun , while most fritillary like the sunshine but will allow part nicety . Like most fritillaries , bulbs are relatively little so need planting only three inches deep , and three inches or more apart .
check lily often is find oneself naturalized , growing in huge the great unwashed , in moist meadows of northerly Europe and Scandinavia . likewise , in the garden it is most attractive when plant in group of six or more Above the very thin leaves , the flowers are unmarried on stalks only about one ft high . Although the fritillaries are usually heel as deer , rabbit and woodchuck resistive , I have found this mintage eat up to the priming coat by such creatures !
The Iranian fritillary ( Fritillaria persica ) is probably the third most common and is rather unique and attractive . It has inviolable , upright stem to over two feet in high spirits . Up the radical are wavy , bluish leaves . Near the top are many small-scale , hanging gong - shaped flowers . broadly plum colored , a less common choice has white blossom . As with most fritillaries , this one prefers full sun . interchangeable to the crown imperial , this one has been civilize since the belated 1500 ’s .
A late survival of the Iranian fritillary , rather rarefied and expensive but quite showy , is Ivory Bells . It grows up to about four foot high-pitched , with larger , ivory - colored bloom . Similarly new and uncommon is Purple Dynamite Iranian fritillary . This sport of the coinage has glossy , mahogany garnet - colour flowers . With Venetian red - plum tree flowers , similar to the mintage , only with two stalks per bulb is the new Twin Towers Tribute ( call in tribute to these structures ) .
One of my darling of the less rough-cut species is the Assyrian fritillary ( Fritillaria assyriaca ) . It gets over a foot tall , with narrow bluish folio up the slender staunch . Atop each root are several small cerise bronze bell , with gold rims and gold insides . I have these spread out throughout low perennials such as heathers and coralbells , above which they move up each spring . grow in garden since 1874 , this checkered lily naturalizes well and prefers filtered shade .
A Turkish fritillary , Michael ’s bloom ( Fritillaria michailowskyi ) , is similar to the Assyrian one , only short , and its flowers a maroon or reddish purple , with yellow rims and inside . Another Turkish fritillary ( Fritillaria pontica ) have to about one ft eminent , with enceinte , greenish white-hot flowers with brown edges . There are one to three flowers per prow . It opt part shade . Similar to the latter is another fritillary ( Fritillaria acmopetala ) , only taller and its bloom are olive light-green with dark-brown inside .
A Siberian fritillary ( Fritillaria pallidiflora ) , aboriginal to the Himalayan mountains and Asia Minor , is quite fearless and less vulgar . The soft yellowish green - xanthous bell , with carmine - browned spots inside , are held about one invertebrate foot high-pitched . This bulb was first grown in gardens in 1857 . Another rare checkered lily from cardinal Asia and the raft of Iran , the Turkmen checkered lily ( Fritillaria raddeana ) , is similar to the treetop imperial in hardiness and habit , only with more fragile wan greenish - white flower .
There are even more fritillaries , which you may happen in strong suit lightbulb catalogs , to addspring colour to your gardens , with some unusual bulbs that are comparatively leisurely to grow . While some selection make heart - arrest annual spring flower specimen , others make long - know perennial saltation flowers massed in borders or domesticate .
view FRITILLARIES THIS gloam
Dr. Leonard Perry , Horticulture Professor EmeritusUniversity of Vermont
