Fritillaria: These perennial bulbs make a bold statement with their striking displays of vivid colour, writes Petra Broddle

摘要

The term "tessellated" means having a tiled or mosaic-like pattern, and it is often this unusual feature of many Fritillaria that first attracts consumers. The array of flower-colour combinations is equally attractive and is down to the mixing of twoor more colours in varying proportions and shades. Colours range from chocolate browns, reds, oranges and purples to yellow-greens and plain white. Fritillaries are perennials of the lily family. There are about 100 species found across the temperate regions of the northern hemisphere, particularly the Mediterranean, the mountains of South-West Asia and western North America. They vary widely in height, from 15 to 120cm. Smaller, delicate species, such as the native F. meleagris, the snake's head fritillary, grow well in pots, woodland gardens and rockeries. Just as impressive is F. imperialis, which provides focus in the herbaceous border.