Description
This is unique in the genus Fritillaria, in being one of the only two species with bright, vivid-red flowers. These are slightly chequered with gold inside. This bright red colouring and the tubular flower structure is typical of a hummingbird-pollinated species.
Restricted to California and Oregon this is highly, and justifiably, sought after for its colour and it is much prized although it is seldom seen in cultivation.
This is not the easiest to grow. It isn’t difficult as such, it just isn’t one for the beginner or for the open garden, no matter how much you like the look of it. However if provided with the right balance of water and excellent drainage, in a humus-rich but very well-drained soil which is not over-dry in summer it can be grown and increased. It prefers light shade and is not really a plant for isolated pots unless you can keep these cool or plunged. This is especially important later in the season to prevent the compost overheating. Wide variations between day and night temperatures will trigger the bulbs to make excessive numbers of small offsets rather than concentrate their energies into the central bulb. It may even cause the main mother bulb to break up into myriad rice-grains. Deeper planting is another way to reduce this soil temperature variation though deep planting in an isolated, unplunged pot will have no benefit. This large variation in soil temperature is also a reason that the bulbs may, at times, develop spots of fungal infection, from which they sadly have a poor chance of recovery.
Raised from seed originally collected by Alan Dean in Northern California.
