Home > Landscaping > Native Plants for Western Washington Gardens and Restoration Projects
Fritillaria lanceolata
Chocolate Lily, Rice Root
At a Glance: Rare herb to 80 cm tall from bulb with numerous rice-like bulblets; flowers are mottled maroon and yellow.
Height: Up to 32 inches (80 cm).
Growth Form: Herb.
Stems: Yellowish stem.
Leaves: In 1-2 whorls of 3-5 leaves, sometimes alternate; shape: lance shaped; size: 5-15 cm (2-6 in) long; color: light green.
Flowers: Flowers dark purple or maroon with greenish-yellow mottled spots giving a brown appearance overall, nodding, single or in clusters of 2-5, terminal; size: 4 cm (1.5 in) long; shape: bell shaped.
Flowering Period: April, May.
Fruits: Upright, 6-angled capsules with wings on the angles, seeds many, flat.
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 full sun > 80%  mostly sunny 60%-80% partial sun and shade 40%- 60% mostly shady 60%-80% full shade > 80%
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wet moist dry
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From sea level to nearly sub-alpine.
low elevation mid elevation sub-alpine high elevation
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Aquatic and Wetland:
Ponds or lakes Shallow pools Sloughs Swales or wet ditches Seasonally inundated areas Marshes or swamps Aquatic bed wetlands Emergent wetlands Scrub-shrub wetlands Forested wetlands Bogs, fens Seeps, springs
Lake shores Bog margins Streams or rivers Stream or river banks Riparian corridors River bars Floodplains Bottomlands Alluvial areas |
Saltwater Areas:
In or near saltwater Mud flats Tidal areas Estuaries Saltmarshes Brackish water Seashores Coastal dunes or beaches
Coastal bluffs Cliffs Rocky slopes Outcrops Crevices Glacial outwash Gullies Slide areas
Heaths Snow beds Tundra Avalanche tracks |
Forests and Thickets:
Forests and woods Open forests Coniferous forests Old growth forests Deciduous forests Mixed forests Nurse logs Forest edges, openings, or clearings Thickets
Pastures or fields Meadows or grassy areas Mossy areas
Roadsides Trailsides Logged sites Burned areas Disturbed sites |
Berries Seeds Nectar for hummingbirds Nectar for butterflies Host for insect larvae Thickets and shelter Thorny or protective cover
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Insects: Smell of flower attracts flies and beetles.
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Food Uses: Bulbs were eaten by the Coast Salish, including the Squamish, Sechelt, Halqemeylem and Straits Salish. The bulbs were steamed in pits or boiled. Some have eaten the rice-like nodules on the bulb and reported that they taste vaguely like rice.
Interesting Facts: These plants are rare and should not be disturbed if found in the wild.
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Suggested References
- Hitchcock, C.L., A. Cronquist. 1973. Vascular Plants of the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press. Page 691.
- Lyons, C., W. Merilees. Trees and Shrubs to Know in Washington and British Columbia. Lone Pine Publishing. Page 331.
- Pojar, J., A. Mackinnon. 1994. Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast. Lone Pine Publishing. Page 110.
The landscaping and restoration information provided on this page is taken from the Starflower Foundation Image Herbarium. All photographs © Starflower Foundation unless otherwise noted.
