Fritillaria that originate in Asia from K-Z are described on this page. Asian Fritillaria A-J
Fritillaria karelinii 'Uzbekistan' This species is from western China and central Afghanistan where it is found in semi-desert areas. It is similar to Fritillaria gibbosa. It has solitary flowers of rose pink with deeper spots and veining and a prominent nectary. Photo by John Lonsdale.
Fritillaria kotschyana comes from the mountains of northern Iran, where it is said to inhabit both screes and rich soils. The photographed plants were grown from seed purchased from Archibalds. The very large flowers on short stems are upfacing when they open and then turn downward. The tepals tend to be spaced out to the base, unlike other frits. Easy to grow in a bulb frame, kept moderately dry but not arid in summer. Photo by Jane McGary
Fritillaria latifolia Flowering in February in a bulb frame in Oregon. The pictured plant was grown from seed purchased from Archibalds under number 498.205 "ex R. & R. Wallis 93A-48," said to originate in Gumushane, Turkey. All English descriptions, including that in the Archibald seedlist, refer to "glossy green" leaves, and this specimen has glaucous leaves, as well as a slightly deformed flower with some abortive extra tepals inside. However, the 2004 catalog of Janis Ruksans illustrates a glaucous-leaved F. latifolia wild collected in the Caucasus, so perhaps this characteristic is variable. Photo by Jane McGary
Fritillaria michailovskyi is a native of Turkey that grows in alpine turf near the snow line. It has brownish-purple flowers with the lower third bright yellow. Photos by Arnold Trachtenberg and John Lonsdale.
Fritillaria minuta is from east Turkey where is grows on stony slopes. It has reddish-brown or orange solitary pendant flowers and bright shiny green leaves. Photo by John Lonsdale.
Fritillaria pallidiflora is a native of central Asia with grey leaves and bells of pale yellow. Photos by Arnold Trachtenberg and John Lonsdale.
Grown from Holland bulbs offered in the autumn, this is a delicate beauty, with nicely proportioned pastel yellow blooms, elegant in countenance, and externally speckled in green. It survived a couple of years, then was lost due to rodent predation. Generally available in the autumn where Holland bulbs are sold, inexpensive, and well worth growing in an open shaded spot. Photo by Mark McDonough.
Fritillaria persica has a large range from S. Turkey to western Iran, south to Jordan and Israel, and is quite variable. Pictured are seedlings of the clone 'Adiyaman', which duplicate that clone's unusually large, deep purple flowers. (Bulbs now sold as 'Adiyaman' often are an inferior seedling strain with small brownish flowers, which is, however, a more tolerant garden plant.) These very tall frits require excellent drainage; in Oregon, where these were photographed, these large-flowered ones do better in a bulb frame, while the commercial strain does well outdoors. A white form is shown in the following entry. Photo by Jane McGary
Fritillaria persica 'Ivory Tower' Photo taken at Floriade 2002 by Bill Dijk
Fritillaria pinardii is native to the eastern Mediterranean, especially to Turkey. It is quite variable; the photos shows a typical population grown from wild-collected seeds from Armenia, a golden yellow form from another Turkish wild collection, and forms with rich copper-colored interiors (also Archibalds). It is easily grown from seed. These plants are in a bulb frame in Oregon, flowering in March; they are kept somewhat dry but not arid in summer. Photos by Jane McGary
Fritillaria sibthorpiana from southwestern Turkey is one of several species from that general region with conical yellow flowers. The photo does not show its distinctive pair of large basal leaves. Shown flowering in a bulb frame in Oregon in late March; should not be dried out too much in summer. Photo by Jane McGary
Fritillaria stenanthera The image is of a particularly deep pink form of this early-blooming Rhinopetalum section member from West to Central Asia. Typical plants have lighter pink flowers. This pot represents the increase of a single bulb grown from seed about ten years previously. Grown in a bulb frame and kept dry in summer. Photos by Jane McGary and John Lonsdale. The last is a late pale form.
Fritillaria stenanthera 'Kazakhstan' 
Fritillaria stenanthera 'Kyrgystan': 
Fritillaria thunbergii is native to China and Japan where it is found in scrub and light woods. It has linear leaves that are whorled on the top where there are also tendril-like tips. Flowers are cream-colored, flecked or tessellated green. This species needs to be planted deeply. Photos by John Lonsdale.
Fritillaria uva-vulpis syn. Fritillaria assyriaca This is a shot of the typical commercial form offered by most bulb houses. Likes sun in a well drained soil that is moist in the late Winter and Spring. photo: Jamie Vande
Here is another photo of the fox grape fritillaria, this time in the Montgomery County, Maryland, USA, USDA zone 7 garden of Jim McKenney. This clump taught me a lesson: I forgot to dig it for the summer, and not only did the bulbs survive a wet summer, but the plants the next year were much bigger than those covered and kept dry for the summer. Here you see it growing vigorously with Euroweeds Ranunculus ficaria and Veronica persica et al.
Fritillaria walujewii can be found in the Tien Shan mountain range and in central Asia. It has three bells of pinkish-purple that are tessellated. Narrow leaves are opposite or whorled at the top with tendrils at the tip. Photo by John Lonsdale.
Fritillaria zagrica is a short species native to Iran and Turkey. It has dark chocolate-purple flowers with yellow tips. Photo by John Lonsdale.
Asian Fritillaria A-J -- European Fritillaria -- Miscellaneous Fritillaria -- North American Fritillarias -- Fritillaria index
Return to the PBS wiki Photographs And Information page