Yellow Bell (Fritillariai pudica)

Do you know about the Yellow Bell (Fretillaria Pudica)? What looks like six petals is really three petals and three similar sepals. Sepals are individual leaf-like structures, collectively known as the calyx, that fold over and protect the bud of the flower from damage and weather while developing. Yellow Bells are native to the Western U.S. and Canada. Its small bulbs were eaten fresh, steamed, or boiled and could be dried and stored as a winter food source. David Douglas, the botanist best known as the namesake of the Douglas Fir, first encountered this flower near the Spokane River in 1826.


The Yellow Bell