Sylvia wrote, >A surprise this week: after nearly 10 years in a very small pot, one >of three originally planted bulbs of F. graeca is putting up a bloom >stalk. I bought and planted these bulbs from McClure & Zimmerman in >October 2005 at a time when they offered a surprisingly diverse >selection of this genus. The name Fritillaria graeca has undergone some changes in recent years. I don't know what present name the material supplied by this retailer now goes under. However, it is hard to tell this group apart, especially without a monograph available. One name that came out of the group is Fritillaria mutabilis, which I grew from seed from the AGS Fritillaria Group. They proved to be very handsome plants, quite large. I think I have the real Fritillaria graeca too, from seeds acquired many years ago. It shouldn't take nine years for this plant to flower from purchased bulbs; two years at the most, I would think. Are you repotting them at least every two years, and providing some fertilizer (such as a "root and bloom" formula at half strength)? Are the bulbs at least 4 inches below the soil surface? I would expect bulbs of this group to flower in about four years from seed sowing. If Sylvia doesn't need to grow her bulbs in pots, they might do fine in the ground in her area (northern California). However, deer could eat them. And would! Jane McGary Portland, Oregon, USA