The bulbous Fritillaria raddeana brings subtle late season charm to the Winter Garden.
Occurring in northern Iran to southern Turkmenistan and Kashmir, Fritillaria raddeana resembles the crown imperial (F. imperialis), though is much more demure in stature and colour, reaching 90 cm in height, and having green-tinged, yellow-cream flowers. Up to 20 pendent flowers are held in an umbel at the top of the flower stem, and these are topped by a crown of narrow leaf-like bracts resembling a pineapple. Though attractive in appearance the flowers emit a fox-like aroma. Comprising approximately 100 species from the Mediterranean, south-west Asia and western North America, the genus Fritillaria is diverse in form, shape and colour, as can be seen in our National Collection displayed in the Mountains House when in flower.