chocolate lily
Fritillaria camschatcensis
RHS AGM 2025
USDA zones4 to 8
SunNeeds partial sun (4 to 6 hours)
WaterHandles moderate to moist soil
Size12 to 24 inches tall
- Habit
- Herb
- Bloom season
- Spring, summer
- Bloom color
- Green , purple , brown
- Soil types
- Sand, loam, chalk
- Soil pH
- Acid, alkaline, neutral
Garden uses
Attracts
Notes
Chocolate lily (Fritillaria camschatcensis) is a bulb for borders, containers, and low maintenance gardens. It is hardy to USDA zone 4, or down to -30°F (-34°C). This plant likes part sun and average to moist, sandy, loamy, or chalky soil. Nodding, bell-shaped flowers open in purple-brown to nearly black, and bees visit them. Deer and rabbits rarely make it their first choice. The blooms are fragrant, so plant it where you can enjoy them up close.
Pairs well with Rainbow's End hosta, Gentian, and Allegheny serviceberry.
Native range
Central Asia and Xinjiang.