Fritillaria recurva

"One advantage in keeping a diary is that you become aware with reassuring clarity of the changes which you constantly suffer."

 Franz Kafka

This is probably the most lighthearted of the Kafka quotes I could have chosen. I used to read a lot of Kafka when I was an angst ridden teenager. Not so much anymore, I seem to drown myself in historical fiction or scientific writings these days. The time of existential suffering has perhaps left my life. Regardless, the truth in the quote is perfect for todays botanical subject. 

I haven't had Fritillaria recurva blooming in the nursery for probably 5 years or so. I thought I lost it in a series of hard late frosts, but It was also a time when I was experimenting with growing large specimen pots of bulbs and I suspect it could have also rotted, during one of the cold wet springs. So I got seed of it going again, but a few years back I was repotting some dormant bulbs and ran across a quart pot labeled F. recurva, it had a tiny bulblet just a squinch bigger than a rice grain and I potted that up and low and behold it flowered this year. 

Fritillaria recurva, the molten lava of Chocolate lilies

This one really stands out in a genus of mostly of brown, green and yellows.

Fritillaria recurva hails from South Western Oregon into Northern California, growing in Dry open woodlands, and Chaparrel habitat. I've always been curious about this being a purported parent of Fritillaria gentneri, and I've always wondered why someone didn't make the cross in cultivation to see if it can be made. So I have this one growing next to my Nicasio Reservoir  form of Fritillaria affinis and I've been playing bee pollinator with a paintbrush. I think the Nicassio reservoir may be a triploid though so not totally sure about the effectiveness of the project. Either way it shakes out I'm glad to see the little scarlet fritillary blooming again.

It hasn't felt much like spring with non stop cold soaking rain, but in between the showers I have been working in the rock garden, I made some gravel paths which are much better than the wood chips I had been using. I was treated to a pair of western meadowlarks singing and apparently nesting in the bamboo patch by the driveway. Next week looks to be better weather ahead.

Cheers,

Mark