Flower profile
Checker lily
Fritillaria affinis
Checker lily is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 3 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in February–May.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: California, Oregon, Washington
Quick look
Fritillaria affinis, the chocolate lily, is a highly variable species of flowering plant in the lily family Liliaceae native to western North America.
- It belongs to the Liliaceae family. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 4 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as native to California, Washington and Oregon. NatureServe
- In California, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in February–April. iNaturalist
- In Washington, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–June. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 12,349 research-grade sightings of it in California, ranking #68 among the 110 flowers on our California list. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 2,560 research-grade sightings of it in Washington, ranking #74 among the 110 flowers on our Washington list. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 2,065 research-grade sightings of it in Oregon, ranking #81 among the 110 flowers on our Oregon list. iNaturalist
Checker lily gift ideas
Handmade checker lily gifts from independent makers.
🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.
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Checker lily art print
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Checker lily greeting card
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Checker lily mug
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Checker lily earrings
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Checker lily embroidery pattern
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Checker lily sticker
When does it bloom?
Bloom time in each of our 3 states
| State | Type | Peak bloom | Sightings* |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | Native | February–April | 12,349 |
| Washington | Native | April–June | 2,560 |
| Oregon | Native | March–May | 2,065 |
Conservation status
- Federal (U.S. ESA)
- Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
- NatureServe global
- G5 Secure worldwide. NatureServe
- California
- Not listed Not on California state-listed endangered, threatened and rare plants (14 CCR § 670.2), per CDFW's CNDDB list (July 2026). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in California. CNDDB listed plants (July 2026)
- Washington
- No list Washington has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants (the Washington Natural Heritage Program's rare plant list isn't regulatory), so we show NatureServe's Washington ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Washington.
- Oregon
- Not listed Not on Oregon endangered and threatened plants (OAR 603-073-0070). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Oregon. OAR 603-073-0070
- Rare elsewhere
- No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.
Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.
Can you eat it?
None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.
It isn't on the ASPCA plant list.
🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.
Where does it grow?
USDA PLANTS records checker lily in 4 states.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
California, Idaho, Oregon, Washington.
California counties with USDA records: Alameda, Butte, Colusa, Contra Costa, Del Norte, El Dorado, Humboldt, Lake, Marin, Mariposa, Mendocino, Monterey, Napa, San Benito, San Francisco, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Shasta, Siskiyou, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Tehama, Trinity.
Washington counties with USDA records: Chelan, Clallam, Clark, Cowlitz, Island, Jefferson, King, Kitsap, Kittitas, Klickitat, Lewis, Mason, Okanogan, Pacific, Pierce, San Juan, Skagit, Skamania, Spokane, Thurston, Wahkiakum, Whatcom, Yakima.
Oregon counties with USDA records: Benton, Clatsop, Coos, Curry, Douglas, Hood River, Jackson, Jefferson, Josephine, Lane, Lincoln, Linn, Marion, Multnomah, Polk, Tillamook, Umatilla, Union, Wallowa, Wasco, Washington, Yamhill.
More California flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile FRAF2.
- iNaturalist, Fritillaria affinis: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Fritillaria affinis (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- California: California state-listed endangered, threatened and rare plants (14 CCR § 670.2), per CDFW's CNDDB list (July 2026).
- California: California noxious weed species (3 CCR § 4500).
- Washington: Washington State noxious weed list (WAC 16-750-005, -011, -015).
- Oregon: Oregon endangered and threatened plants (OAR 603-073-0070).
- Oregon: Oregon noxious weed quarantine, A and B weeds (OAR 603-052-1200).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Fritillaria affinis (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
- Photo: Cody Hinchliff via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.