Fritillaria sewerzowii

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Fritillaria sewerzowii
Light:Full Sun Part Shade
Moisture:Xeric Mesic
Hardiness:5
Soil pH:5.6-8.4
Height:1'
Width:0.3'
Blooms:Early Spring-Mid Summer
Native to:
Medicinal Rating:
Tea:Yes
Poisonous

Fritillaria sewerzowii

Propagation: Seed - best sown as soon as ripe in a cold frame, it should germinate in the spring[1]. Protect from frost[2]. Stored seed should be sown as soon as possible and can take a year or more to germinate[2]. Sow the seed quite thinly to avoid the need to prick out the seedlings. Once they have germinated, give them an occasional liquid feed to ensure that they do not suffer mineral deficiency. Once they die down at the end of their second growing season, divide up the small bulbs, planting 2 - 3 to an 8cm deep pot. Grow them on for at least another year in light shade in the greenhouse before planting them out whilst dormant.

Division of offsets in August[1]. The larger bulbs can be planted out direct into their permanent positions, but it is best to pot up the smaller bulbs and grow them on in a cold frame for a year before planting them out in the autumn.

Bulb scales[3].

Cultivation: Prefers a well-drained loam that is kept dry in the summer[1][4]. The soil must be kept quite firm[1]. Established plants are drought tolerant[5].

This species is best grown in a bulb frame, the light being left off (except in severe weather) whilst growth is in progress but then put on in the summer when growth dies down to ensure that the ground is baked[1]. Do not disturb the plants and only hand weed them[1].

Range: C. Asia - Tien Shan and Pamir Alai.

Habitat: Cliff ledges, amongst scrub and on steep earthy slopes, 1000 - 3000 metres[4].

Medicinal: Anaesthetic[6]. The plant contains an alkaloid that is a good local anaesthetic.

Pollinators: Insects

Soil: Can grow in light and medium soils.

Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.

Flower Type: Hermaphrodite

Also Known As: F. discolor. Korolkowia sewerzowii. (Regel.)Regel.

Links

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
  2. 2.0 2.1 Rice, Graham. Growing from Seed Volume 2. Thompson and Morgan, 1988.
  3. Reed, David. Lilies and Related Plants. 1989.
  4. 4.0 4.1 Phillips, Roger and Martyn Rix. Bulbs. Pan Books, 1989.
  5. Chatto, Beth. The Damp Garden. Dent, 1982.
  6. Britannica. Encyclopaedia Britannica 15th edition. 1982.