Fritillaria pontica

LIME CHOCOLATE FRITILLARY

Fritillaria pontica
LIME CHOCOLATE FRITILLARY

Fritillaria pontica bears clustered bells of lime green, trimmed with chocolate brown.

Clusterd bells of lime green trimmed with chocolate

The waxy flowers are of a very unusual colour and texture, with a glistening, silky sheen which really displays the unusual colouring well.
So they really catch the eye in spring and early summer with their uncommon beauty.

Unusual treasure of a bulb

Fritillaria pontica is a stunningly lovely bulb, and treasured by gardeners who relish the unusual.
Grey-green, fine foliage is a also perfect foil for such weirdly wonderful flowers.

One of the best for Australian gardeners

Fortunately this beauty is an easy to grow bulb, despite it’s exotic and striking looks.
And is considered one of the best and easiest to grow for Australian gardeners.
As long as you provide it’s preferred conditions.
Fritillaria pontica hails from Turkey and Romania, so it knows a thing or two about dealing with summer heat and withstanding periods of dry.

Easy to grow

So find a reasonably sunny spot, or perhaps a spot with some dappled or afternoon shade if you live in an area with hot summers.
The bulbs like to dry out in summer and only need infrequent water while they are dormant over summer. But they will never survive in waterlogged conditions.
They have good drought resistance.

Enjoys well drained soils & summer dry

Then enrich the soil with plenty of organic compost, but also ensure the soil drains very well.
So digging in some coarse sand, as well as compost or humus, in the planting spot is a very good idea before planting in the garden.
They are not particularly fussy about the pH of the soil, as long as it is well drained, though they will appreciate a little lime in very acid areas.

No need to ever dig or replant – just leave to multiply

Then you can leave the bulbs undisturbed for many years, and there is no need to ever dig and replant them. They will multiply with off-set bulbs each year.
Plus they will gently self-sow seeds each year, if you have given them their happy place, to create a little grove of exotic lime and chocolate beauties. They clump easily, but never invasive (you should be so lucky).

Rabbit and deer resistant

I would cry if the munching monsters ever attacked my Fritillaria pontica.
But fortunately my nocturnal enemies find these bulbs and their flowers unpalatable.

Frost hardy bulb

Clusters of lime and chocolate bells atop 30-45cm. High stems x 20cm Wide of fine, grey-green foliage.

SEED SOWING ADVICE:

Sow in punnets indoors during autumn/winter/spring.
Seeds need a period of cold to break dormancy.

Sow indoors for maximum germination: First sow the seeds in a punnet on the surface of good quality seed raising mix.
Then gently press the seeds to the surface of the mix to ensure good contact.
Now barely cover the seeds with mix/grit/sand.

Then place the sown punnet into a water bath (make sure the water level in the bath is below the surface of the mix).
So the moisture percolates up through the mix from the bottom to thoroughly moisten the mix throughout.
Soak for a short time until moisture appears on the surface of the mix, and then remove and drain.
Because the mix needs to be moist throughout, but not wet.

Now cling wrap the moist, sown punnet, and place in the fridge (not freezer) for 6 weeks.
This is needed to break the natural dormancy of the seeds and develop the embroyo.

After the period of chilling in the fridge, unwrap the punnet, re-moisten, and place the punnet in an unheated, cool, light place.
Temperatures of 10-15C are ideal for germination.

Seedlings begin to emerge in approx. 30 days.
But do not discard the punnet too quickly, as it is natural for the seeds of Fritillaria pontica to come individually, and at erratic intervals.
So some seeds will come later, because it is a big advantage for survival in the wild, for the plant to germinate erratically over a period of time.

Seed Count: 10 seeds per pack approx. (Seed is not often available).

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