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Fritillaria atropurpurea - Nutt.

Common Name Purple Fritillary, Spotted fritillary
Family Liliaceae
USDA hardiness 4-8
Known Hazards None known
Habitats Humus rich damp soils under trees and shrubs in valleys and open woods, also in mountains to near the timberline, at elevations of 1000 - 3200 metres[212, 270].
Range Western N. America - California to Oregon, N. Dakota and New Mexico.
Edibility Rating    (2 of 5)
Other Uses    (0 of 5)
Weed Potential No
Medicinal Rating    (1 of 5)
Care (info)
Fully Hardy Well drained soil Moist Soil Semi-shade Full sun
Fritillaria atropurpurea Purple Fritillary, Spotted fritillary


http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Stan_Shebs
Fritillaria atropurpurea Purple Fritillary, Spotted fritillary
USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913. An illustrated flora of the northern United States, Canada and the British Possessions. Vol. 1: 505.

 

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Summary


Physical Characteristics

 icon of manicon of bulb
Fritillaria atropurpurea is a BULB growing to 0.6 m (2ft) by 0.1 m (0ft 4in).
See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 4. 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.

UK Hardiness Map US Hardiness Map

Synonyms

Plant Habitats

Woodland Garden Sunny Edge; Dappled Shade; Shady Edge;

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Root
Edible Uses:

Bulb - raw or cooked[212]. Rich in starch[212]. Rather small, it is usually less than 15mm in diameter[235].

References   More on Edible Uses

Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.
Salve

The plant has been pulverized into a salve and applied to scrofulous swellings[257].

References   More on Medicinal Uses

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Other Uses

None known

Special Uses

References   More on Other Uses

Cultivation details

A woodland plant, preferring light soils[1]. It is best grown in a well-drained sandy woodland soil[42, 90, 134]. Plants are best grown in a bulb frame and kept rather dry in summer[90]. Water should be withheld in summer or hot spells[164]. Closely related to F. pinetorum[270].

References   Carbon Farming Information and Carbon Sequestration Information

Temperature Converter

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Plant Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as ripe in a cold frame, it should germinate in the spring[1]. Protect from frost[134]. Stored seed should be sown as soon as possible and can take a year or more to germinate[134]. 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[1]. 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[163].

Other Names

If available other names are mentioned here

Native Range

NORTHERN AMERICA: United States (Nebraska (northwest), North Dakota (southwest), South Dakota (west), Colorado (west), Idaho, Montana (southwest), Oregon, Wyoming, New Mexico (s.-c.), Arizona, California, Nevada, Utah)

Weed Potential

Right plant wrong place. We are currently updating this section. Please note that a plant may be invasive in one area but may not in your area so it’s worth checking.

Conservation Status

IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants Status :

Related Plants
Latin NameCommon NameHabitHeightHardinessGrowthSoilShadeMoistureEdibleMedicinalOther
Fritillaria affinisChocolate Lily, Checker lilyBulb0.6 4-8  LMSNM300
Fritillaria camschatcensisKamchatka Lily, Kamchatka fritillaryBulb0.5 4-8  LMSNM40 
Fritillaria cirrhosaChuan Bei MuBulb0.5 4-8  LMSNM23 
Fritillaria imperialisCrown Imperial, Imperial fritillary, Crown Imperial FritillaryBulb1.0 7-9 SMHSNDM21 
Fritillaria meleagrisSnakehead Fritillary, Chequered lily, Checkered FritillaryBulb0.3 3-7 MLMHSNM01 
Fritillaria pallidifloraPale-Flowered FritillaryBulb0.6 3-7  LMSNM03 
Fritillaria pudicaYellow FritillaryBulb0.2 3-7  LMSNDM30 
Fritillaria roylei Bulb0.6 4-8  LMSNM02 
Fritillaria sewerzowii Bulb0.3 4-8  LMSNDM01 
Fritillaria thunbergiiZhe Bei MuBulb0.6 7-10  LMSNM23 
Fritillaria verticillata Bulb0.6 4-8  LMSNDM23 

Growth: S = slow M = medium F = fast. Soil: L = light (sandy) M = medium H = heavy (clay). pH: A = acid N = neutral B = basic (alkaline). Shade: F = full shade S = semi-shade N = no shade. Moisture: D = dry M = Moist We = wet Wa = water.

 

Expert comment

Author

Nutt.

Botanical References

200235270

Links / References

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