Sometimes called the Snake’s Head Fritillary or the Checkered Lily, Fritillaria meleagris is quite common in the UK but is not a native plant. With it’s nodding lantern like flowers it looks like it should be in the Far East and this is why it is a useful plant for exotic gardens in the UK.
Fritillaria meleagris might look delicate but it is in fact a tough and tolerant plant. It’s not too fussy about soil PH, preferring neutral soils but tolerant of mildly acid or alkaline. It will grow in a wide range of soil types as well. It will even grow quite well in clay soils.
For position, partial shade is probably best but it will grow in full sun. They look good around ponds and will sit in quite moist conditions quite happily.
Fritillaria meleagris flowers around about April time. If you’ve bought a flowering plant from a nursery or garden centre then they can go straight in the ground in April but if you’ve bought bulbs then the best time to plant them is in September or October. Plant the bulbs with their growing tips upwards at a depth of about 20cm. If you can’t find the tip then plant them on their side as at least they won’t have the growing tip facing down. They will not grow with the tip underneath facing downwards.
Keep an eye out for Lily beetle and slugs. The bulbs do not need to be lifted in the winter because they are hardy down to temperatures below minus ten degrees centigrade
