Flower profile
Spotted fritillary
Fritillaria atropurpurea
Spotted fritillary (Fritillaria atropurpurea) is a flowering plant in the Liliaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly May–June across the U.S.
Spotted fritillary is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. In Wyoming it's most often seen in bloom in May–June.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: Wyoming
Quick look
Fritillaria atropurpurea is a species of fritillary known by several common names, including spotted fritillary, purple fritillary, spotted mountainbells, spotted missionbells, and leopard lily.
- 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 13 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as native to Wyoming. NatureServe
- In Wyoming, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in May–June. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 343 research-grade sightings of it in Wyoming, ranking #86 among the 113 flowers on our Wyoming list. iNaturalist
When does it bloom?
In Wyoming, most flowering sightings come in May–June.
Conservation status
- Federal (U.S. ESA)
- Not listed Not listed under the Endangered Species Act. USFWS ECOS does track it with the label “Resolved Taxon,” which is informal and gives no legal protection. USFWS ECOS
- NatureServe global
- G5 Secure worldwide. NatureServe
- Wyoming
- No list Wyoming has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Wyoming ranks instead. NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in Wyoming.
- Rare elsewhere
- Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: NE (S2), NM (S2). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)
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 spotted fritillary in 13 states.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming.
Wyoming counties with USDA records: Albany, Big Horn, Campbell, Carbon, Converse, Crook, Fremont, Goshen, Hot Springs, Johnson, Lincoln, Natrona, Niobrara, Park, Platte, Sheridan, Sublette, Sweetwater, Teton, Weston.
Names, range and relatives
Other scientific names (synonyms in USDA PLANTS): Fritillaria adamantina, Fritillaria gracillima.
County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 157 counties across 11 states; the most are in Utah (26), California (22), Idaho (20).
Other Fritillaria on Bloomipedia (3): Checker lily, Yellow fritillary, Rice root.
More from the Liliaceae family (32 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Yellow trout lily, Cucumber root, Bluebead lily, White fawnlily, White globe lily, Glacier lily, Yellow mariposa lily, Tolmie's pussy ears.
More Wyoming flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile FRAT.
- iNaturalist, Fritillaria atropurpurea: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Fritillaria atropurpurea (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Wyoming: Wyoming state designated noxious weeds (W.S. 11-5-102(a)(xi)), as listed by the Wyoming Weed & Pest Council.
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Fritillaria atropurpurea (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
- Photo: Jack Wander via iNaturalist · CC0 · resized.