Fritillarias here in the cold frame that are in bloom are F. raddeana, F. gibbosa, F. stenanthera, F. latifolia, F. armena, F. euboeica, and F. striata. I'm very pleased that the measures I went to to protect the plants in December, when the temperature dropped to 14 F (minus 10 C) were effective. F. striata, from southern California, emerges very early and has in the past been damaged, though not killed, by cold snaps. Fritillaria orientalis, mentioned by Jim McK., should not be up with the early ones, so perhaps his plant has its label mixed up. The garden, however, is still in winter, with very little in flower other than crocuses, snowdrops, and eranthis; also some early corydalis. I hope it will be worth a brief look when we have our study weekend in two weeks, but if not, at least no one will feel compelled to point out the weeds (there are very few of those in evidence yet, either). Jane McGary Northwestern Oregon, USA At 10:30 AM 3/1/2009, you wrote: >Things are happening quickly on the Fritillaria front in one of the >unprotected cold frames. I can now count flower buds on two frits: F. >raddeana (this will be the fourth time it has bloomed here) and F. >orientalis. The Fritillaria raddeana is about an inch and a half out of the >ground. As in the past, as soon as the sprout emerges, the tuft of foliage >opens up to expose the nest of flower buds. >Fritillaria bucharica is about three inches out of the ground, but it is not >yet showing flower buds. >Another early riser, F. stenanthera, has yet to emerge. An investigative >finger found a nice fat sprout on the way up. >I have some doubts about the Fritillaria oreintalis - I'm not sure that's >really what it is. We'll soon see.