Delicate looking, but strong, very hardy and long-lasting, standing up to late snows, frosts and stiff spring winds. Fleshy grass-like grey-green leaves reach to 8–10" as flowers peak.
Prefers partial shade and heavy soil, tolerates moist soil; a cool spot in a woodland garden is perfect. Can naturalize in border or lawn.
3–4" tall. Very Early Spring blooms, Z3-8. 5cm/up bulbs.
The Royal General Bulbgrowers Association in Holland (Koninklijke Algemeene Vereeniging voor Bloembollencultuur, or KAVB) puts this large group of diverse flowers into a boring catch-all category: Miscellaneous Bulbs. The expensive catalogs call them specialty or accent bulbs; some call them minor or dwarf bulbs (even though some of the fritillaries are huge!); Louise Beebe Wilder covered most of them in her 1936 classic Adventures with Hardy Bulbs. Whatever you call them, most are uncommonly sweet, delicate, colorful, and completely welcome in spring.
See also: bulb planting information and bulb planting charts.
