Chocolate Lily, Checker lily
Fritillaria affinis

Family: Liliaceae

What it is like

Fritillaria affinis is a BULB growing to 0.6 m (2ft). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 5. It is in flower from April to May. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Insects. Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.

Height (m): 0.6

Where it is found

Prairies and grass bluffs to woodland and coniferous forests, usually on leafy soils overlying a rather stony sub-soil, from sea level to 1500 metres.

Western N. America - British Columbia to California, east to Idaho.

Conservation Status:

Countries/locations it is found in

How it is used

Food

Rating: 3

Bulb - raw, cooked or dried for winter use. Rich in starch, the bulb is best used in the autumn. The plant has a small bulb surrounded by rice-like bulblets. Both bulb and bulblets are used, when cooked they are tender and delicate, resembling real rice except for having a slightly bitter taste. The roots were a staple food for some native North American Indian tribes. Immature seedpods - raw or cooked. A bitter flavour.

Root: includes bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes etc.

Seedpod: things such as Okra, French and Runner beans.

Medicine

Rating: 0

Other

Rating: 0

How it is grown

A woodland plant, preferring light soils. It is best grown in a well-drained sandy woodland soil. Plants are best grown in a bulb frame and kept rather dry in summer. Water should be withheld in summer or hot spells. A very ornamental and polymorphic plant. The sub-species F. affinis tristulis is a triploid form that is exceptionally large flowered, robust and easily cultivated. Plants flower within 3 - 5 years from seed.

Propagating it: Seed - best sown as soon as ripe in a cold frame, it should germinate in the spring. Protect from frost. Stored seed should be sown as soon as possible and can take a year or more to germinate. Sow the seed quite thinly to avoid the need to prick out the seedlings. Once they have germinated, give them an occasional liquid feed to ensure that they do not suffer mineral deficiency. Once they die down at the end of their second growing season, divide up the small bulbs, planting 2 - 3 to an 8cm deep pot. Grow them on for at least another year in light shade in the greenhouse before planting them out whilst dormant. Division of offsets in August. The larger bulbs can be planted out direct into their permanent positions, but it is best to pot up the smaller bulbs and grow them on in a cold frame for a year before planting them out in the autumn. Bulb scales.

Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Sunny Edge; Dappled Shade; Shady Edge;

Habit: Bulb

Hardiness: 4-8

Growth:

Soil: Light (sandy), medium

Shade: Semi-shade, no shade

Moisture: Moist

Things to keep in mind

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

F. esculenta. F. lanceolata. Pursh.