Yellow Bells
As the snows melt out in the hills, we hike out on the damp ground and we may spot the first wildflowers of late winter/early spring. Sagebrush buttercups are usually first, but yellow bells are in the second group, a small, but elegant flower that graces the grasslands on the sides of our trails.
- Fritillaria pudica is a member of the lily family, a perennial growing from small bulbs.
- Flowers are yellow and bell-shaped. The upper stem curves so that the flowers are pendulant/drooping.
- Two or more smooth, narrow (sometimes lanceolate) leaves branch off (often a whorl of leaves) about halfway up the stem.
- The short-lived yellow flowers usually have a brown-purple stripe near the base, and as the flowers start to fade, they start to turn to orange/red.
More Details:
- After flowering, the fruits/seeds are borne in cylindrical capsules.
- Many flattish seeds are produced.
- Yellow bells can be found in our low to middle elevation grasslands, in open forests, and on dry valley hillsides in early spring.
- The bulbs are edible and were harvested by some First Nations people.
- Yellow bells bulbs can also be planted in home gardens, grown from seed or from purchased bulbs.
- Note – Each post on this site is meant to be a living document, that, is, it is designed to be edited, improved, corrected, and added to over time. We will photograph new flowers and add to the galleries over time. Your comments and/or submissions are welcomed.
- Paul Handford has kindly provided a number of images of maturing yellow bells. They can be seen at this link – Maturing Yellow Bells
Doug: it might be worth noting that, just before the fruit matures, the petals shift from bright yellow to orange-brown, and then the stem bearing the fruit straightens out, lifting the capsule to a vertical posture. I have pics of these stages if you’d like to use them.
I see this site as a collaborative venture if possible. I have the website and lots of photos, but always appreciate additional contributions, either as a post, a comment, a set of photos, or as a message meant to improve the site.
So how do I send in pics?
PS the time stamp appears to be off-base! As I am writing this, it is still only 5.22 pm, and I sent in my first comment this morning!
… and, moreover, it is still 14 January!!
With new sites, there are always a number of small tweaks to be done and the time zone was one of them. It is fixed now.
To help with the site, there are several ways to do it. I can give you a login so you can make you own post. You can email me (dsmith@kamloopstrails.net) the text and attach the pictures, or I can install a user post template to be filled out which I receive, tweak, then publish.