Description

Fritillaria meleagris

Common name: Snake’s Head Fritillary, Chequered Daffodil

Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit (AGM)

Number of seeds in packet: minimum 30

The nodding bell shaped flowers of Fritillaria meleagris are unmistakeable for their snake skin markings. It has lovely chequer-patterned flowers and has become quite rare in the wild.

This British wild flower bulb is now protected and rarely seen in its native meadows, but will always attract attention in a woodland garden, rockery, or naturalised in grass.

Propagate by seeds in pots in a cold frame as soon as seed is ripe, or sow in early spring.

Some seedlings may produce white flowers instead of the normal purple chequered pattern.

The fritillary bulbs in my own garden have been grown from seed and they make a flowering size bulb within 2 years.

They grow very easily from seed!

Height: 30cm (15″) high.
Flowers: April/May
Aspect: Sun or shade, fully hardy