Description
Mission Bells
Lustrous brown-black with an emerald overlay. Several flowers per stem, from a naturally small bulb. The smell of this species is not unpleasant, as has often been reported; it smells faintly of fabric-dressing.
Humus-rich, but well-drained soil, dry in summer, but not “baked”. We find that like many of the Californian species, this is best in a pot under alpine glass. It wants very sharp drainage and not too much water. In addition, (and again like many Californian Fritillaria), it can be susceptible to fungal infections if the culture is not spot-on. Hence annual repotting in sterilised compost, such as one based on John Innes No3, is better than garden soil.
