Fritillaria Frustration

I have had these planted for 4 years. Every year I get beautiful foliage, yet have never had a single bloom......last year I got curious and dug them up just to see, they were the most beautiful, healthy, fat bulbs I have ever seen. Soooo...howcome no flowers??????

How much light do they recieve, what spieces, and how deeply are they planted?

They get light from when the sun comes up until roughly 2pm, no idea what species, I got them when I ordered a spring mix one year, they are supposed to be black in colour. I'm wondering if my spring is just too late for them maybe? They are planted twice the depth of the bulb.

I'd guess you have Frit. persica. It has almost powdery leaves on a lily-like stem, generally a tall (30+cm) plant. It does bloom in later spring. It also likes to be on the dry side in summer, the best specimens I've seen were in very sunny dry-summer spots.
Another guess- but I'd say it needs more sun and drainage.
Is there any way you could post a picture? I know how it is- leaves are nice, but flowers are the dessert we wait for.
K. James

Sorry, can't post a pic.....they get nice and tall, and are in a raised bed, so the drainage should be good........just no flowers!!!!

You might try a different source for your bulbs. Fritillaria, like lilies, need to have as much root left on the bulb as possible. It could be that this is the problem. But maybe not.......

I'm a huge fan of Brent and Becky's Bulbs. They are very free and helpful w/information.

Plus, they are a better soure for Fritillaria than 95% of other places...

I just dug up some frit persica, this is their third home, not getting enough sun to bloom. Anyhoo they were really happy in this dry somewhat rocky location (the bulbs doubled) until my new peonies started growing like mad and blocking their sun therefor not blooming again. The real problem I have is that in digging them up I cut in to the bulbs..ouch....are they goners? I could kick myself, I replanted them in a full sun spot in the fron of the bed immediately.