Yellow Bells
Yellow bells (Fritillaria pudica) are low-growing perennials found in the grasslands in early spring. They are part of the lily family. They grow from scaly bulbs and many have several small corms. The stems rise to about 15-25 cm. Lanceolate-linear leaves are usually in opposite pairs. A yellow bell-shaped drooping flower sometimes has a faint purple ring near the base. As the flower ages, it starts to turn orange-red.
All photos taken by the author, shared in a Google Photos album.
After flowering distinctive capsules form and many small seeds develop and are later dispersed. The leaves wither and are not easy to spot by summer. The corms are edible and were part of the Indigenous diet in the area. Other names for yellow bells are yellow fritillary or yellow missionbells.
This wildflower is a favorite and we hope to add it to our home garden too.
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Thanks! These are my favorites too! And I really like the way the flowers orange up as they age. One year up just south of Lac du Bois, it was a slow spring, and the flowers hung there much longer before they shriveled. There was a whole huge area of orange ones, still very well preserved. I have a good photo and I’ll try to share it with you. Spring is in the air a little in Calgary, but I remember how wonderful it was in the Kamloops area, and sometimes quite early. Have fun, Jan🪶🥀🌲🌳👌
Sounds like a nice surprise. With the website, once a first comment is approved, all others are posted automatically. Cheers, D
Yellow bells were spotted today in the Batchelor Hills.