Fritillaria striata
Jane McGary (Sun, 03 Nov 2019 11:53:01 PST)

Included in the new BX are seeds of Fritillaria striata, a species
endemic to a small area in southern California. I wanted to make clear
that this seed was collected ethically, under permit, by a staff member
of the Tejon Ranch Conservancy, a large segment of the Tejon Ranch in
the hills at the southern end of the Central Valley. They are aware that
I'm distributing some of the seed through PBS and other exchanges. I had
supported TRC and asked, diffidently, for "a little" seed of this
species. Two years later, early this summer, a large packet arrived,
with a note that "tens of thousands" of plants had flowered after the
rainy winter. If you get this seed and would like to express your
thanks, you can visit http://www.tejonconservancy.org/ to learn about this
preserve and perhaps send a donation. It's a good website.

F. striata is a beautiful flower, somewhat resembling a miniature
Madonna lily. The pendant white bells are variously marked with gray to
pink dotted lines, and very unusual in the genus, it has a sweet
fragrance. I have grown it for many years, mostly in a cold frame where
winter temperatures regularly reached 20 degrees F. It leafs out early
so must be protected from rain here; the foliage would probably freeze
if wet. I use a very gritty soil. In nature it grows among grasses that
overtop it after the frit flowers and sets seed. Also, protect it from
predators such as slugs and cutworms. Most California Fritillaria
species are easy to grow from seed, with patience.

Jane McGary, Portland, Oregon, USA

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