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Fritillarias–Spring-blooming Bulbs of Legend and Lore
Plants & Gardens News Volume 16, Number 1 | Spring 2001
by Scott D. Appell
The fritillaria is steeped in legend and lore. Many plant historians believe it to be the actual flower referred to in the myth of Hyacinthus, the Spartan prince beloved but accidentally killed by Apollo. (Apparently, the plant that botanists originally linked to the tale—the hyacinth—is not native to Greece at all. Oops!)
The stately Fritillaria imperialis, or crown imperial, with its crown-like tufts of foliage and nodding, nectar-laden orange to yellow flowers, is known in Farsi (the language of Iraq) as the "Tears of Mary." Christian tradition recalls that of all the flowers, only the proud crown imperial refused to bow its head during the Crucifixion. As a consequence, it has "bowed" and "wept" ever since.
Fritillaria imperialis
I remember, as a youngster one fall, helping Mrs. Sarah Hyde Douglas plant F. imperialis bulbs in Brooklyn Botanic Garden's Shakespeare Garden. "Now, be sure to wear gloves," she'd say to me in her soft Southern drawl. "Many people get a rash on their hands after touching the bulbs." I have found out since then that fritillarias contain toxic alkaloids and should indeed be handled with care.
Mrs. Douglas also made sure that we planted the fat bulbs on their sides. This, she explained, helped prevent the bulbs from rotting in the Garden's deep, clay loam. When the plants bloomed the following spring, they seemed as tall as I was. And I can't forget their strange smell—Miss Douglas said it was "foxy". (Some books are not so kind, describing the odor as "skunky.") For years after, I honestly believed that foxes smelled the same as fritillarias.
Growing Tips
I attended college in Columbus, Ohio. It was there that I acquired my first home and garden. I grew my childhood fritillarias, and became interested in finding other species, too. But American nursery catalogs, at that time (the 1970s), offered just a few kinds, with lots of conflicting information on how to care for them. Today, the number of fritillaria species on sale here has vastly increased. But most of the available literature about them comes from Britain. This is annoying—gardening in the land of the forefathers is not at all the same as gardening over here. Ironically, the British think we Americans grow better fritillarias than they do. And it's no wonder. Fritillarias prefer our sunnier and drier summers.
The genus Fritillaria belongs to the Liliaceae, or Lily Family. It consists of about 100 primarily spring-blooming bulbous species indigenous to many northern temperate regions, particularly the Mediterranean, central and western Asia, and western North America. (The U.S. species can be a bit difficult for East Coast gardeners, but are suitable for milder climes or cool alpine houses.) Fritillarias are prized for their pendulous, tubular to bell-shaped flowers. As it happens, the genus name comes from the Latin word fritillus, meaning "dicebox," a reference to the spotted or checkered markings on the flowers of some species.
The key to growing fritillarias on my property in Columbus was to create a very rich, flawlessly drained soil. I raised rabbits—many, many rabbits. Naturally, I had access to vast quantities of their manure (a wonderful soil amendment). In fall, I would dig expansive craters, much larger than necessary, and refill them with a mixture of one third composted rabbit manure, one third sharp sand, and the rest a mixture of horticultural charcoal, turkey grit, ground oyster shell, and green sand. I'd let the bed settle for a week, then plant my bulbs.
Site selection was crucial. Most fritillaria species need plenty of moisture in the spring and a marked absence of water during the summer. Any kind of artificial watering must be avoided at this time, including rainfall run-off from eaves and roofs, and dousing from automatic irrigation systems.
Although most books I've encountered say that fritillarias prefer light shade, I've never had any difficulty with a sunny exposure. Perhaps, however, if your springtime temperatures tend to be overly hot, dappled afternoon shade might prove beneficial.
The planting depth for fritillarias is usually 3 to 6 inches. Once planted, they like to be left undisturbed. The first spring will be a trifle disappointing, as fritillarias also like to "settle in." Subsequent years prove infinitely more gratifying. If after a while, however, you find that your plants are growing blinded (without flowers), then it is time to dig up the clumps and separate them. August and September are the best months to accomplish this.
Scott's Picks
The readily recognized crown imperial, hardy to USDA Zones 4 to 7, grows from 24 to 40 inches tall. A native of southern Turkey, F. imperialis has some exciting cultivars that are easily available. 'Aurora' has orange-red flowers with purple veins. One of the oldest selections, dating back to 1665, is 'Lutea', which has clear, lemon-yellow bells. The outstanding 'Prolifera' bears a double crown of orange flowers, one sheathed within the other. Soft tangerine blossoms with purple-tinged veins are borne on 'Premier'. My personal favorite is 'Argenteovariegata', with its white-edged leaves and pendulous rusty-orange flowers.
F. persica produces wonderful plum-colored flowers, and glaucus blue-green foliage. Increasing numbers of this fritillaria species are being raised in Holland and Belgium for the cut flower industry. As the species name implies, this plant is native to Iraq and Iran (formerly Persia), as well as Israel. It grows from 1 to 4 feet high and is hardy from Zones 4 to 7. The noteworthy heirloom cultivar 'Adiyaman' grows to 24 inches in height.
The familiar checkered lily or snake's head fritillaria, F. meleagris, is a lovely, graceful species growing to about 10 inches tall. Hardy from Zones 4 to 7, it produces nodding, solitary flowers that vary from white-speckled mauve or puce through creamy white. Native to the southern and western Alps, it prefers a moist locale and is a perfect candidate for naturalizing in lawns (its grass-like foliage blends in well). Several worthwhile cultivars are available. 'Alba' is the most readily procurable, and produces clear white flowers. 'Aphrodite' displays large creamy white blossoms with deep green interior venation. 'Pink Eveline' is a relative newcomer, growing to 20 inches, with pale pink flowers that shade to white and gray-pink.
An excellent fritillaria for the rock or trough garden is F. michailowski. Hardy through Zones 4 to 7, it is indigenous to northeastern Turkey. The plant is short, about 4 to 6 inches, and produces single or paired flowers of a dazzling rich purple-maroon and gold color.
Another delightful specimen is F. pallidiflora, hailing from Asia to southwest China. It grows to 18 inches and bears up to half a dozen large, pendent, square-topped, pale yellow-green bells. The foliage is thick, fleshy, and gray-green. This fritillaria prefers a rich, peaty soil mixture that never drys out. It likes dappled afternoon shade, and is hardy from Zones 3 to 5.
The solitary-flowered F. acmopetala, native to Cyprus, Lebanon, Syria, and south Turkey, is hardy to Zones 6 to 7. Reaching 14 inches in height, it bears beautifully graceful, pendent, tapered blossoms that are marked pale purple upon a faint chartreuse field. It's easy to culture in slightly alkaline, well-drained soil in full sun or light shade.
Nursery Sources:
7463 Heath Trail
Gloucester, VA 23061
Phone: (804) 693-3966
www.brentandbeckysbulbs.com John Scheepers, Inc.
23 Tulip Drive
Bantam, CT 06750-1631
Phone: (860) 567-0838
www.johnscheepers.com
No longer planting fritillaria bulbs in the Shakespeare Garden, Scott D. Appell still keeps close ties to BBG, teaching horticulture classes and contributing regularly to the Garden's publications. Having recently edited Indoor Landscaping, the winter 2000 edition of BBG's acclaimed 21st-Century Gardening Series, he is now finishing up a new handbook on container gardening for fall 2001 entitled The Potted Garden.
Scott is currently Director of Education for the Horticultural Society of New York and a member of the Publications Committee of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society. He is the author of three books, Pansies, Tulips, and Lilies, all published by Friedman/ Fairfax Publishers. Scott has a private consulting company called The Green Man and can be contacted by phone at (212) 966-4745 or by email: hortny@aol.com.