Fritillaria species originating in Europe are described on this page.
Fritillaria conica is endemic to the Peloponnese where it grows in scrub. It has shiny green leaves and deep yellow conical flowers and is one of the easier yellow-flowered species to grow. Photo by John Lonsdale.
Fritillaria davisii is found on hillsides, scrub, olive groves and cornfields at low altitudes in the Peloponnese (Greece). This species has two broad leaves that rest on the ground and dark chocolate waxy flowers that are yellowish-green inside. This color shows lightly through to the outside petal tip. This species increases well. First two photos, by Mary Sue Ittner, are of plants blooming in February 2005 in Northern California. Third photo by John Lonsdale.
Fritillaria ehrhartii from the Aegean Islands of Greece, flowering in a bulb frame in Oregon in late March, showing the typical dusky purple flowers with a gray "bloom" on the outer surface and the small golden apices of the tepals. These four-year-old seedlings are in their second flowering year, an easy species to cultivate with a little overhead protection. Photo by Jane McGary.
Fritillaria euboica Grown from seed purchased from Archibalds. This handsome plant, native to the Greek island of Evvoia, is closely related to F. carica and may be a subspecies of it. The flowers, on 5-inch/12-cm stems, are large in proportion. Photos by Jane McGary and John Lonsdale.
Fritillaria gussichiae is native to Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, and Greece where it is found in woodlands and has pale green untesselated flowers flushed brown. Photo by John Lonsdale.
Fritillaria meleagris, is one of the best known species in cultivation noted for its checkering and many common names such as "Snake's head fritillary". It is from Great Britain and other parts of Europe and is found in wet meadows. The white variety is less common. Seed germinates at the end of Winter and flowers in its third season. The bulbs become dormant by the start of Summer. Photos by Arnold Trachtenberg and David Pilling.
Fritillaria messanensis is a Mediterranean species with flowers that are hanging bells of chequered brown and green with a green stripe down the center of each petal. Blooming for the first time in March 2006 from seed sown in the fall of 1999. Photo by Mary Sue Ittner.
Fritillaria messanensis ssp. gracilis from the northwestern Balkan region is a plant of alpine meadows and light woodland, well adapted to gardens in temperate regions. Shown flowering in Oregon in late March. Photo by Jane McGary.
Fritillaria obliqua is native to the vicinity of Athens, Greece, where it is endangered owing to loss of habitat to development. The name obliqua refers to the slightly tilted attitude of the flowers, as shown in the photo. The deep purple tepals are satiny in texture, contrasting with the bright golden pollen within. Shown flowering in a bulb frame in Oregon in March. Photo by Jane McGary.
Fritillaria pyrenaica is from the Pyrenees (southern France and Northern Spain) where it grows on grassy stony slopes and in woods. The most common form has large dark chocolate long bells that are yellow green inside but they can be chequered red and brown with a yellow-green stripe of even yellow.. It flowers in spring. Photos by John Lonsdale.
Robust form
'Cedric Morris'
Fritillaria rhodocanakis is endemic to the Greek island Hydra where it is found growing on limestone hillsides. It blooms in spring and has purple to maroon flowers with yellow tips. Photo by Bill Dijk.
Fritillaria rixii is a Greek species with yellow flowers. Photo by John Lonsdale.
Fritillaria tubiformis Several color forms of this species from southeastern France and northern Italy are shown, grown from cultivated seed from a seed exchange and flowering in March in a bulb frame in Oregon. The yellow forms are distinguished as subsp. moggridgei. See also the note under F. latifolia above. The habit of flowering right at ground level is typical and one of the charms of this species; the flowers themselves are relatively quite large. However, height is variable, and the second photo shows taller forms grown from wild-collected seed. Photos by Jane McGary.
The following two pictures of a plant grown in a coldframe were taken on March 27, 2008 in the USDA zone 7 Montgomery County, Maryland, USA garden of Jim McKenney. These appear to be intermediate between the typical form and the yellow form moggridgei.
Fritillaria tuntasia is an easily grown Greek Island species with conical black purple flowers. Photo by John Lonsdale.
Asian Fritillaria A-J - Asian Fritillaria K-Z - Fritillaria index - Miscellaneous Fritillaria - North American Fritillarias
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