Fritillaria pontica

The Fritillaria pontica is a hardy fritillary, native to rocky slopes in the Balkans and Turkey. It is a bulbous plant that thrives in not too dry rock gardens where it always makes an impression. Its spring flowering takes the form of pendulous campanulate bells, displaying a delicate and bright colour, a pale lemon green often washed with brownish-violet on the edges. The bulbs are planted in autumn, in partial shade or non-scorching sun. This plant has been awarded by the R.H.S in England for its ornamental qualities and performance in the garden.

The Fritillaria pontica belongs to the lily family. It is native to the mountains of Albania, Bulgaria, northern Greece, and western Turkey. It is a plant whose bulb is formed of thick scales, and whose vegetation emerges from the ground in late winter or early spring. It produces stems that will reach 20 to 38 cm (8 to 15in) in height when in bloom. These stems bear lanceolate, narrow, gray-green leaves, grouped in threes. The flowering takes place in April-May. At the top of each stem, a flower forms, hanging towards the ground, measuring 3 to 4 cm (1 to 2in) in diameter. The outside of the corolla is yellow-green suffused with brownish-purple on the edges, the inside is green with 6 small brown spots. The plant goes dormant in summer.

This montane Fritillaria pontica is particularly well-suited to rock gardens, but it does not like excessively dry places and dislikes heatwaves. In nature, it benefits from moisture in spring, during the snowmelt, while enduring relatively dry summers, but without excessive heat. In winter, the ground is normally covered with snow, which protects the bulb from both cold and excessive moisture. These are the conditions that should be replicated in the garden to successfully grow it and see it flower faithfully year after year. To accompany it, consider, for example, pasqueflowers, as well as botanical tulips and botanical daffodils.