Fritillaria davidii

[annew]

I seem to recall some time ago seeing a description by Bob and Rannveig Wallis of how to get this frit to flower. The leaves are fascinatingly un-fritillaria-like, but I can't get it to produce more than one flower every 3 years! Any advice?

[Gerry Webster]

Anne - you’re lucky, all I get are a few small leaves.

I have an article by Rix & Mathew  (Curtis’s Botanical Magazine, 17 [3], Aug, 2000) which suggests cultivation in moss peat or pulverised bark with added fertiliser or in  leafmould with added perlite. Water during summer & keep in plastic pots on the shady side of a wall. Repot in late Spring or early August, not during the summer

I also have a reference to Bob & Rannveig in the AGS Bulletin, 69, p 486  but I can’t lay my hands on this at the moment.
Edit: Found it!
They suggest a compost of equal parts JI2, perlite & leafmould & advise treating like Erythroniums where "a dry summer rest is inappropriate

[Alex]

Hi Anne,

Perhaps the advice is "don't give your best bulbs away" - the one you sent me has a flower open now!  Thought I'd never see this sp. doing its stuff, will try to get photo tomorrow.

Cheers,

Alex

[chasw]

Had mine for about 5 years and never had a flower ,then lost it

[annew]

Hi Anne,

Perhaps the advice is "don't give your best bulbs away" - the one you sent me has a flower open now!  Thought I'd never see this sp. doing its stuff, will try to get photo tomorrow.

Cheers,

Alex

NOOOooooooooooo

[annew]

Seriously, thanks for the comments. The article seems to suggest the same treatment I've been giving it since I got it!

[annew]

Maybe if I pretended it was a daff and whispered sweet nothings?

[Maggi Young]

Maybe if I pretended it was a daff and whispered sweet nothings?

Why not, and if it works, perhaps you could come and do the same for ours?

[Gerry Webster]

Maybe if I pretended it was a daff and whispered sweet nothings?

Fritillaries are not susceptible to feminine charms.

[johnw]

Why not, and if it works, perhaps you could come and do the same for ours?

Said to only work for wall plants.

[annew]

Feed, Feed, Feed, and more feed Anne. Then you may improve from 33% to 50% flowers. Huge emphasis on the "may".

Seriously this species does respond incredibly quickly to copious amounts of potash.

Will do Ron. You mean I might get a single flower every 2 years instead of 3? Good job the leaves are interesting.

[Gerry Webster]

I feed all my bulbs heavily but it makes no difference to F. davidii. Maybe it needs cooler conditions than I can provide? It is said to grow on N-facing hillsides with a dense ground cover of ferns (possibly Matteucia.) which uncoil when the frit is flowering.

[Alex]

Here it is Anne 

[annew]

 

[shelagh]

Like you Anne we have only had 1 flower in the last 3 years.