I’ve been digging and sorting bulbs all week, and it’s always a pleasure when the one turns out a pot and finds something good. Some of the frits Jane McGary has sent out over the years have done well here; in particular, I’m happy to say that some of the Californian species seem at least willing to give things here a trial. I noticed today that we don’t have any images of the bulbs of the western North American Fritillaria on the wiki, so I’ve added several: there are now images of the bulbs of Fritillaria biflora, Fritillaria roderickii (biflora ‘grayana’), F. liliacea and F. striata. As western North American frits go, these are related and the bulbs are similar. They were photographed against a quarter inch grid. Take a look here: http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/index.php/… s Many of the western North American Fritillaria make me think lily more than fritillary, and the bulbs of the species illustrated show why. These are the oddest bulbs: long, sausage or finger like upright scales connected (loosely sometimes!) at the base like some severely stressed lily bulb. In the image of the bulbs of Fritillaria biflora, you can see lots of small ones. Were there attached to the larger bulbs before I dug them? I don’t know; perhaps gentler handling would have provided an answer. I’m pretty sure most have been living a separate existence for at least a year and maybe two, but one can make out what seems to be one of these small bulbs forming at the base of one of the bigger ones. I’m still feeling my way with these Californian species, but I’m convinced that those from the southern half of the state require, under our conditions, to be dry, very dry, by the end of May. Does that make sense to those of you who have grown these successfully? A first trial with Fritillaria striata was a failure here. I began to wonder if this species was heat intolerant. But a Google search on the weather of the counties where it grows in California turned up this reassuring information: the summer temperatures within its native range sometimes exceed 100º F. I’ll bet the soil there does not stay continuously moist for long after late April. It would be helpful to hear from some of you who live within the ranges of these species. Jim McKenney jimmckenney@jimmckenney.com Montgomery County, Maryland, USA, 39.03871º North, 77.09829º West, USDA zone 7, where the solsticial lilies are peaking. My Virtual Maryland Garden http://www.jimmckenney.com/ BLOG! http://mcwort.blogspot.com/ Webmaster Potomac Valley Chapter, NARGS Editor PVC Bulletin http://www.pvcnargs.org/ Webmaster Potomac Lily Society http://www.potomaclilysociety.org/