Common Name: Zhe Bei Mu

General Information

Fritillaria thunbergii is a perennial plant growing from an ovoid to globose bulb around 10 - 30 mm in diameter and comprising of 2 - 3 scales; the flowering stem is around 15 - 80cm tall[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and medicine. Known as Zhe Bei Mu in Chinese medicine, where it is a very popular and much used medication, it is widely cultivated for its bulb which is used locally and also dried then exported to various countries. The plant is also grown in Europe, mainly as an ornamental but also for medicinal use[, , ].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

Central Asia - Kazakhstan, western China (Xinjiang). Naturalized in southeast China, Japan and Korea

Habitat

Bamboo forests, shady and moist places; at elevations from near sea level to 600 metres[, ].

Properties

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

Cultivation Details

Fritillaria thunbergii 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. The dormant bulbs are fairly hardy and will withstand soil temperatures down to at least -5°c[].
Best grown in a moist peaty soil in the open garden[]. Easily grown in a moderately fertile soil in sun or semi-shade[]. Succeeds in drier soils and is drought tolerant when established[].
The scaly bulbs are best planted on their sides or surrounded in sand to prevent water collecting in their hollow crowns[].
Plants take 3 - 5 years to flower from seed.

Edible Uses

Bulb - fried or candied[]. The bulb is up to 3cm in diameter[].

Young plants and buds - cooked[].

Medicinal

The bulbs are antidote, antitussive, astringent, expectorant, galactagogue and purgative[, , , ]. They contain fritimine which diminishes excitability of respiratory centres, paralyses voluntary movement and counters effects of opium[]. The bulbs are thought to act specifically on tumours and swellings of the throat, neck and chest, and they are taken in the treatment of thyroid gland nodules, scrofula, abscesses and boils and breast cancer[]. The bulb is used internally in the treatment of coughs, bronchitis, pneumonia, feverish illnesses, abscesses etc[]. The bulbs also have a folk history of use against cancer of the breast and lungs in China[, ].
This remedy should only be used under the supervision of a qualified practitioner, excessive doses can cause breathing difficulties and heart failure[].
The bulbs are harvested in the winter whilst they are dormant and are dried for later use[].


Pharmaceutical investigations of the bulb have revealed that it has been utilized to deal with different infections like cough, disposing of mucus, alleviating pain and anti-inflammatory problems. Known as ‘Zhe Beimu’ in Chinese, it is among the main species from the genus Fritillaria to be utilized in TCM as an expectorant and antitussive herb for over 200 years[].

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 the 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[].