Fritillaria agrestis
Stinkbells
(c) Ken-ichi Ueda, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Liliaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 4.2
Fritillaria agrestis (Stinkbells) is a native California herb in the Liliaceae family, recognized by ill-scented flowers and clay habitat diagnostic.
Stinkbells is a California native perennial found in the Mendocino County coastal ranges, Sierra Nevada foothills, Central Valley, and central western California in clay habitats, often on vertic soils, at elevations below 500 meters. Flowering from March to June, this plant produces green-white and yellow flowers with purple-brown interior surfaces, hanging in distinctive nodding positions. Growing with tall stems 30 to 60 centimeters high, it develops from a large bulb with multiple scales. Its leaves are linear to lance-oblong, 5 to 15 centimeters long, alternately arranged and densely clustered below the middle of the stem. The flower features a prominent green nectary extending two-thirds the length of its perianth, giving the plant its distinctive and somewhat ill-scented character.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 16 sympatric species; ill-scented flowers and clay habitat diagnostic
Habitat and range
Habitat: Clay, often vertic, occasionally serpentine
Elevation: < 500 m
California counties: Tulare, San Mateo, Monterey, Placer, Stanislaus, Fresno, Alameda, Mariposa, Yolo, Kern, Ventura, San Benito, Butte, Contra Costa, Mendocino, Merced, Sacramento, Santa Cruz, San Luis Obispo, Glenn, Tuolumne, Santa Barbara, Solano, Colusa
Bloom period
Fritillaria agrestis blooms Mar-Jun.
Conservation status
CNPS 4.2
How to tell it apart
vs Lilium: Fritillaria has dark glandular spots in the lower half of each petal; Lilium petals lack these nectary patches.; vs Calochortus: Fritillaria flowers droop downward with glands inside; Calochortus flowers face upward or outward.; vs Platanthera: Fritillaria has 6 similar bell-shaped petals; orchid flowers have distinctly different upper and lower petals.; vs Clintonia: Fritillaria flowers hang downward with internal glands; Clintonia flowers stand upright and produce berries.; vs Maianthemum: Fritillaria has large drooping bells with 6 petals; Maianthemum has tiny 4-parted flowers in clusters.
Frequently asked questions
Is Fritillaria agrestis native to California?
Yes. Fritillaria agrestis is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Fritillaria agrestis bloom?
Fritillaria agrestis blooms Mar-Jun.
Where in California does Fritillaria agrestis grow?
Fritillaria agrestis occurs in Tulare, San Mateo, Monterey, Placer, Stanislaus, Fresno, Alameda, Mariposa and other counties, at elevations of < 500 m.
What plant family does Fritillaria agrestis belong to?
Fritillaria agrestis is in the Liliaceae family, genus Fritillaria.
Is Fritillaria agrestis rare or endangered?
Fritillaria agrestis carries California Rare Plant Rank 4.2, state rank S3.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CNPS Rare Plant Inventory · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos · CDFW CNDDB
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.