Fritillaria carica

[maggiepie]

I have a lot ( well a few dozen) seeds of F. carica germinating, am wondering if there is any hope of me being able to grow these plants in the garden in my zone. ( 4b)

[Lori S.]

I certainly don't know (needless to say!!!), but since no one else has responded yet, here's a little about it from Rix and Phillip's Bulbs:
"Native of SW Turkey, Samos and Chios, where it grows on rocky hillsides, often among scrub, or in open pine woods from 200 to 1500m, flowering from March to May... Easily grown in a bulb frame or a pot in the alpine house."

I realize this doesn't say anything definitive about hardiness in zone 4 either, but that at least some of the population is from relatively high elevations is promising!    (NB.  The "alpine house" reference strongly ties to the UK climate... I don't know whether your conditions  necessitate such measures....)

[Tony Willis]

I think there are probably two problems.

1. they do not grow very high in Turkey and but are probably covered in snow in winter. If they are not it is not very cold compared with your zone and I would be surprised if in fact they ever got frozen in the wild.

2.In summer they have a long very hot dry period from May until October . They grow probably 4-5 inches deep and are not baked they are certainly dry.

my answer would be no to your question but then if you do not try a few we will never know.

[maggiepie]

(NB.  The "alpine house" reference strongly ties to the UK climate... I don't know whether your conditions  necessitate such measures....Huh)

my answer would be no to your question but then if you do not try a few we will never know

Looks like I have nothing to lose and not much choice anyway, so will plunge the pots and hope for the best.

[Sinchets]

I agree with Tony, that maybe you should experiment and put some outside. If you have a place on a well drained rock garden you could try them there ,rather than in a plunged pot. The water will move through the soil quicker and conditions are likely to be more stable.

[maggiepie]

Simon, I have pretty good drainage everywhere as the block was filled with rock as landfill before the house was built.
I only potted them up yesterday, so do you think leaving them in the pots for a few months and then planting them into the garden would work?

[Sinchets]

I can't keep things in pots over winter here, because of the cold. So I either plant on into a bulb-bed (which gets covered in winter) or put them out in the garden- either way best to wait until the leaves go down. It will also give you the chance to plant them a bit deeper than they are in the pot, out of harm's way.

[Anastasia]

Fr. carica some years grow at us in a garden. Winters in the earth. Blossoms.
Has been planted by bulbs.
At us a climatic zone 4. 

[Sinchets]

Hi Anastasia- it is good to know there are other brave souls out there