• Image of Fritillaria thunbergii|Juniper Level Botanic Gdn, NC|JLBG

    Photo by JLBG taken at Juniper Level Botanic Gdn, NC

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Fritillaria thunbergii

Thunberg's Fritillaria

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Item #: 7747

Zones: 7a to 8b, at least

Dormancy: Summer, Fall

Height: 24" tall

Culture: Part Sun to Light Shade

Origin: China, Japan

Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L)


(aka: F. verticillata) I first saw the easy-to-grow, fast-multiplying, and long-lived Fritillaria thunbergii in John Elsley's South Carolina garden, where normal frits fear to tread. F. thunbergii is a really "cool" plant for the late-winter garden, as the fleshy green stalks emerge in February and expand quickly to 2' tall, adorned with narrow grey-green leaves that end in beanstalk-like tendrils, which aid in clinging to nearby neighbors (neighbors not included). From early March through early April, the stems are laden with small yellow-green bells, netted with lavender veins. By May, the plants are dormant for a long summer nap.