Fritillaria acmopetala

If you are just beginning with fritillaries and you garden in a climate like this one, then the plant shown above, Fritillaria acmopetala, is a good one to start with. If well sited it will persist and increase.

The flower reflects the overall poise of the plant: somewhat stiff and elongated, as if it's a bit distressed to find itself crowded in with so many uncouth companions. The open rim of the flower is glossy as if highly varnished, and in common with many other frits the interior of the flower deserves a peek, too.

Brachystelma cathcartense

Imagine, if you can, a Stapelia trying to be a Fritillaria, and you’ll have a rough idea of what this plant suggests. It’s a South African asclepiad and evidently will eventually form a substantial caudex. It’s not a garden plant here, or at least I don’t expect it to be. When dormant it will probably endure sub-freezing conditions as long as it’s dry. I’ll keep it in the protected cold frame during the winter. Or maybe I’ll relent and keep it inside as a house plant.

The many uncertainties expressed in the preceding paragraph are the result of my almost complete lack of real knowledge about this plant. It came from Seneca Hill Perennials a few months ago; I took it out of the box, watered it, and a few weeks later took the picture above.

The lilies of spring

Fritillaria are the lilies of spring. The last of this season's plants are blooming now, and many of the early blooming sorts are already dormant for the summer. Fritillaria will probably never be common garden plants in our climate, but if you are willing to go to a bit of trouble many will respond well. In my experience the only species likely to persist as a garden plant is Fritillaria meleagris. Most of the Fritillaria here are grown in containers in cold frames. Most start into growth very early, and it's not unknown for unprotected plants in full bloom to be caught by overnight freezes. When this happens, the plants temporarily collapse and eventually rise up again. It's hard to believe that this is good for them, but they do seem to endure such conditions without obvious ill effect.
Check on the title line above ("The lilies of spring") to link to my Fritillaria gallery: the 2008 additions will be arriving soon.