Handsome in groups, but as the attractive flowers can be difficult to see against a dark background, plant them among yellow, pink or white tulips or other light-colored plants, or in front of a light-colored wall or building.
Native to southern Turkey, western Iran, Iraq, Israel and Jordan. In Zone 5, needs protection to overwinter.
24–40" tall. Mid Spring blooms, Z5-8. 20cm/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.