Common Name: Purple Fritillary

General Information

Fritillaria atropurpurea is a perennial plant growing from an underground bulb comprising 2 - 5 large scales plus around 45 - 50 smal scales. The flowering stem is around 10 - 60cm tall[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and medicine. It is sometimes grown as an ornamental.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

, ,

Range

Western and central N. America - Oregon to California, east to North Dakota, Nebraska and New Mexico

Habitat

Humus rich damp soils under trees and shrubs in valleys and open woods, also in mountains to near the timberline; at elevations from 1,000 - 3,200 metres[, ].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Bulb
Height	0.60 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Fritillaria atropurpurea. is a plant of the temperate zone, growing in areas with cold winters and warm, dry summers. The plants are usually covered with snow in winter, with much of the moisture required for growth coming from the melt water.
A woodland plant, preferring light soils[], it is a difficult plant to grow unless similar conditions to its natural habitat can be provided.. It is best grown in a well-drained sandy woodland soil[, , ]. Plants are best grown in a bulb frame and kept rather dry in summer[]. Water should be withheld in summer or hot spells[].
Closely related to Fritillaria pinetorum[].

Edible Uses

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

Medicinal

The whole plant has been used as a treatment for cancer. It was pulverized into a salve and applied to scrofulous swellings[, ].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as ripe in a well-drained, sandy or gritty soil in a cold frame,it should germinate in 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[].