Fritillaria-2008

[Paddy Tobin]

Oh Chris, that is exquisite.

Paddy

[Tony Willis]

In truth, Shelagh, while a quality haggis can be a thing of mouthwatering delicacy, the fact is that nowadays most are barely useable even AS compost.

It's a sad life.... low calibre haggis and no Japanese frits...... 

I had a delicious haggis for lunch today in a whiskey sauce,so they are not all bad but no frits.

[Michael]

Wonderfull frits! I barely can't wait to see the next batch Frit photos!

[Stephenb]

It's a sad life.... low calibre haggis and no Japanese frits...... 

I had a delicious haggis for lunch today in a whiskey sauce,so they are not all bad but no frits.

Ahhh, good old Haggis and Frits!! I'll probably be excommunicated from this forum for admitting to eating Fritillaria (well, once anyway), but in my opinion, it's the frits which are the most delicious and mouthwatering of the two, tasting like chestnuts...  Fritillaria camschatcensis (and others) are of course staple food plants where they grow wild (even some of the Japanese Frits) 

[Lesley Cox]

Could the Japanese be encouraged to swap ready-to-eat haggis for some planting-ready frits? Not camtschatcensis which we've most likely all got plenty to be going on with, but the other, exquiste species? I'd even be happy to throw in a chilled lamb or two or perhaps some specially succulent cakes.

[chris]

let's forget japanese Frits,just until the others are flowering,here one from Turkey and one from China, is it normal that the flowers from F.sewerzowii opens when the stem is only 15 cm high?

[Lesley Cox]

My (single) bulb does it every year Chris. It's barely through the surface of the ground before the first flowers open. Mine is closer to brown than yours, a sort of pinky-tan. It doesn't ever get to be more than about 15 cms high so there seem to be shorter and taller forms.

[olegKon]

It must be typical for pot culture. Have never seen it with mine which are grown outdoors. Flowers always open on a vell-developed plant. Unfortunately the season here hasn't started yet, everything is covered with snow. I'll try to show them in development when they start growing (middle april, I think). This is true for F. raddeana as well.

[Lesley Cox]

But the reverse seems to be true here Oleg. When I had my bulb in a pot (it was grown from seed and took 10 years to flower) it grew to about 30cms. It flowered there for 3 years and then I moved it to the open garden. Since then it has made a side bulb, still attached, but only grows to half the height.

[olegKon]

Thanks for pics, Lesley. The emerging shoots are always magnificient, aren't they? My congratulations with the side bulb. People here don't believe it gives side bulbs, but I have experienced side bulbs twice for appr. 10 years. Hope my 6 year seedlings will give such nice colour as yours (4 more years to wait?).
I'm not risky enough to expose Fr. sew. to summer rains and dig it up to store in warm sand till planting time in August. Do you have dry summers there?

[Maggi Young]

You may not have to wait ten years in total, Oleg, some will flower faster! Here's hoping you are lucky.

[olegKon]

thanks for encouragement, Maggy. With 6 month winters it's nice to even think we can enjoy the bloom earlier

[John Forrest]

Love your Japanese F.ayakoana Chris. Mine are very common and ordinary in comparison but the first Fritillaria michailovskyi I remember being very expensive years ago and now is available cheaply in most garden centres.(I live in hope of a similar outcome with F.ayakoana  )

1 Fritillaria michailovskyi
2 Fritillaria pudica
3 Fritillaria pudica detail

[Luc Gilgemyn]

It may not be rare or expensive anymore John, but I still find F. michailovskyi a very attractive little gem ! 

[Luc Gilgemyn]

A friend of mine is growing this as

Frit meleagroides

Can anyone confirm this ID ?
Thanks for your help