Yellow Fritillary
Fritillaria pudica

Family: Liliaceae

What it is like

Fritillaria pudica is a BULB growing to 0.2 m (0ft 8in) by 0.1 m (0ft 4in). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 3. 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 dry or moist soil.

Height (m): 0.2

Where it is found

Grassland and sagebrush deserts to mixed coniferous forests, also on stony mountain slopes, 400 - 2000 metres.

Western N. America - British Columbia to Wyoming, south to New Mexico.

Conservation Status:

Countries/locations it is found in

How it is used

Food

Rating: 3

Bulb - raw or cooked. It can also be dried for later use. Commonly eaten as a food by the native North Americans, the small bulbs were eaten raw and the larger ones cooked. Rich in starch, it is best used in the autumn. The raw bulb tastes like potatoes, when cooked it tastes like rice. It can be eaten as a vegetable or can be added to soups etc. The green seedpods can be eaten raw or cooked but are bitter. A delicious flavour.

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

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

Medicine

Rating: 0

Other

Rating:

How it is grown

Best grown on a gritty well-drained sunny bank. Plants must be kept dry in the summer. A very variable and ornamental plant, but it is not easy to grow outdoors, though it has lived a long time in a bulb frame. Flowers are produced in 4 - 6 years from seed. The bulb produces bulbils freely.

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;

Habit: Bulb

Hardiness: 3-7

Growth:

Soil: Light (sandy), medium

Shade: Semi-shade, no shade

Moisture: Dry, moist

Things to keep in mind

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

Lilium pudicum.