This year we have been lucky to find several of these wonderful Chocolate Lilies blooming on the trails nearby. I am a bit up in the air as to the specific species as two reliable websites list the chocolate lily as two species one being Fritillaria affinis var. affinis and the other lists the plant as Fritillaria atropurpurea.
The plant is fairly inconspicuous and without the flower not very showy at all. It is a beautiful plant and we were glad to come across it as according to Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center database it is one that frequently takes years off from flowering.
nature has no boss 
How beautiful-I’ve never seen these
LikeLike
HI and thanks. We only found this flower this year so it was a first for us as well.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I really like that.
LikeLike
Thanks Jim.
LikeLike
A beautiful plant and beautiful pictures. (We don’t have anything like that over here I’m afraid 🙁).
LikeLike
Hi, I am sure you have other wonderful flowers to brighten the spring. This was our first encounter with this flower and from our reading they might no bloom every year.
LikeLike
They’re beautiful – so delicate and graceful. Maybe you have both species?
LikeLike
Hi Eliza, it is hard to tell as from our research both leaves are similar and photos showed quite a bit of variability such that our local ones looked like both in photographs.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sounds like it’s a lucky sighting, Mike. What beautiful colors and patterns. Great shots.
LikeLike
Thanks Jane, we hope they bloom again next year. They were mostly hidden in the forest and hard to photograph so we felt luck to walk away with a few keepers.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Such pretty faces.
LikeLike
They are fine flowers of sure.
LikeLike
Now that’s a new one to me.
LikeLike
It was for us as well and we are so lucky to have had a year where they were prolific.
LikeLike
Unique looking that’s for sure
LikeLike
We agree and it is those unique things keep you coming back for more. Too bad there all bloomed out.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Beautiful flowers and shots! They look like they’re dusted with cocoa!
LikeLike
For some reason a delicious cocoa dusted treat of any kind sounds good right about now. Hope your doing well and having a great week.
LikeLike
It’s very pretty. How did it get its name?
LikeLike
Hi Lisa and thanks for the feedback. I am not sure how the name Chocolate Lilly came about but if you ever see on you can see a bit of chocolate in the color of the flower. So that is my best guess.
LikeLiked by 1 person