Snake's Head Fritillary mix - 75 pieces

Fritillaria meleagris

CHF 33.60

Purple chequered and white bells mixed
Unique chequerboard pattern
Flowers in April and May
About 20–30 cm tall
Tolerates moist to damp soil

This snake's head fritillary mix combines violet chequered and white bells. The nodding flowers with their unique chequerboard pattern are among the most unusual spring flowers. With 75 bulbs you can plant a small meadow or a whole border edge.

About this variety

Hardly any flower is as patterned as the snake's head fritillary. Its hanging bells are chequered in purple and pale tones, as if someone had painted them with a brush. The mix also contains white forms, which look like points of light among the dark flowers.

The plants grow about 20–30 cm tall and are among the few bulbs that like moist and even slightly damp soil. Meadows, pond edges, woodland edges and the front of the border are ideal. Combine them with wild daffodils, grape hyacinths, cowslips or pasque flowers. In rock gardens and bowls, too, the patterns show to advantage up close.

Bees and bumblebees visit the bells early in the year. In a suitable spot the snake's head fritillary slowly naturalises by seed. Voles and deer usually avoid it. In small vases the chequered bells are a charming eye-catcher. If you scatter the bulbs loosely over an area, after a few years you get the impression of an old wet meadow. It looks natural and needs hardly any care.

Planting

Plant the bulbs from September to November, ideally straight after they arrive, as they dry out quickly. Set them tip upwards 8–10 cm deep and 8–10 cm apart, in loose groups. Choose a sunny to partly shaded spot with moist, humus-rich soil.

Care

Leave the foliage after flowering until it yellows. In a meadow or lawn, only mow once the foliage has died back, so that seed can also be shed. Do not let the soil get too dry in spring. After that the snake's head fritillary needs hardly any care.

Specifications

Botanical name: Fritillaria meleagris
Genus: Fritillaria
Class: Various
Supplied as: Flower bulbs
Flower colour: Purple, White
Fragrant: No
Flowering time: April, May
Flowering season: Spring, Late spring
Height: 25 cm
Spread: 10 cm
Habit: Upright
Position: Sun, Partial shade
Suitable for: Bed, Rock garden, Wildlife garden and meadow, Cutting garden
Soil type: Chalky, Clay, Loamy, Sandy
Drainage: Well-drained
Soil moisture: Moist
Soil pH: Neutral
Soil note: Suitable for many Swiss garden soils. A loose structure and good drainage matter more than a particular soil type.
Planting time: August, September, October, November, December
Planting depth: 8–10 cm
Spacing: 8–10 cm
Number per m²: 100
Hardiness in Switzerland: Hardy in Switzerland
Hardiness by location: Hardy, also at higher altitudes
Hardiness zone (USDA): 4–8
Overwintering note: Generally hardy in garden soil in Switzerland. At high, windy sites and in containers, plan extra winter protection and avoid winter wet.
For containers: Only partly suitable for containers
Container note: Only recommended in a sufficiently large, stable, well-drained container.
Cut flower: Suitable as a cut flower
Naturalising: Partly suitable
Naturalising note: Can return for several years. Spreading on its own is not guaranteed for this variety, however.
For bees and butterflies: Pollinator-friendly
Deer and rodent resistant: Yes
RHS hardiness: H5