Herb: Purple Fritillary


Latin name: Fritillaria atropurpurea


Family: Liliaceae (Lily Family)



Medicinal use of Purple Fritillary:

The plant has been pulverized into a salve and applied to scrofulous swellings.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Bulb


Height:
60 cm
(2 feet)

Flowering:
April
to May

Habitat of the herb:

Rich damp soils in valleys and open woods, also in mountains to near the timberline.

Edible parts of Purple Fritillary:

Bulb - raw or cooked. Rich in starch. Rather small, it is usually less than 15mm in diameter.

Propagation of the herb:

Seed - best sown as soon as ripe in a cold frame, it should germinate in the spring. Protect from frost. Stored seed should be sown as soon as possible and can take a year or more to germinate. Sow the seed quite thinly to avoid the need to prick out the seedlings. Once they have germinated, give them an occasional liquid feed to ensure that they do not suffer mineral deficiency. Once they die down at the end of their second growing season, divide up the small bulbs, planting 2 - 3 to an 8cm deep pot. Grow them on for at least another year in light shade in the greenhouse before planting them out whilst dormant. Division of offsets in August. The larger bulbs can be planted out direct into their permanent positions, but it is best to pot up the smaller bulbs and grow them on in a cold frame for a year before planting them out in the autumn. Bulb scales.

Cultivation of Purple Fritillary:

Rich damp soils in valleys and open woods, also in mountains to near the timberline.

Known hazards of Fritillaria atropurpurea:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.