Fritillaria

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

Fritillaria (lat. Fritillaria) - a flowering perennial from the Liliaceae family. The second name of the plant is hazel grouse.

Description

Fritillaria is a spectacular bulbous plant that ranges in height from ten centimeters to one meter. The bulbs of this plant usually consist of two fleshy scales fused together, between which the exit points of the stems are quite clearly visible. And since these bulbs do not have a reliable coating of dense protective scales, they tend to dry out very quickly. That is why it is recommended to acquire fritillaria bulbs as early as possible and plant them immediately, without waiting until they lose their vitality. As for the size of these bulbs, they are in direct proportion to the species of the plant.

The diameter of the drooping bell-shaped flowers of fritillaria can vary from two to six centimeters, and the color of these flowers can be either white or red, or yellow, brown or green. True, you can admire the wondrous flowering of fritillaria only for one single month of the year - the beauty of this plant is very short-lived!

Fritillaria fruits look like three-celled hexagonal capsules, which can be both winged and wingless. And inside these boxes you can always find a truly incredible amount of tiny flat seeds.

In total, the genus of fritillaria has about 179 species.

Where grows

Fritillaria can be found in temperate zones in North America, Asia or Europe. This plant feels quite well in the conditions of central Russia.

Usage

Fritillaria is often and very successfully grown in greenhouse conditions. Some of its varieties have also found their application as medicinal plants. Also, despite the characteristic bitterness, the bulbs of some species of this plant are edible. And tubers very rich in starch are used for food instead of bread.

It does not hurt to know that many types of fritillaria are poisonous, since they contain a very impressive amount of alkaloids!

Growing and caring

Fritillaria is recommended to be planted in sunny areas, while it is very important to ensure that the soils in these areas are sufficiently loose and can boast of good moisture permeability. It will not be superfluous to immediately attend to the creation of a reliable drainage layer - the liquid accumulating in the upper soil layers often entails rotting of the bulbs and the death of beautiful plants.

Fritillaria practically does not need fertilizers - as a rule, the nutrients that it receives from the soil are quite enough for it. True, this plant also usually does not refuse from rare dressings. And tall specimens of this beauty will also need good support - without proper support, its stems will constantly break.

Reproduction of fritillaria is carried out both by seeds and by daughter bulbs or even bulbous scales. At the same time, it does not hurt to know that the seeds of this beauty lose their germination rather quickly, therefore it is recommended to sow them in pre-prepared containers already in July. In this case, the appearance of the first shoots will have to be expected for almost a whole year, and it will be possible to admire the full flowering of the plants grown by the seed method only after three or even four years.

As for various diseases, fritillaria is most often attacked by various rot.