Snake’s Head Fritillary Bulbs (Fritillaria meleagris)

The Snake’s Head Fritillary (Fritillaria meleagris) is one of the most distinctive of all spring bulbs: a single nodding bell on a slender stem, patterned with a precise chequerboard of purple and pink, with the occasional pure white flower among them. It flowers in April and May at around 15cm and is at its best seen en masse in damp grass, where the flowers hang above the sward like small lanterns.

It is a plant of damp, seasonally flooded meadows and does best where the ground stays moist through spring and is never allowed to dry out completely. Damp lawns, orchard grass, the margins of ponds and streams, and lightly shaded ground under open tree cover all suit it. Once settled it returns year after year and, where the grass is managed with a late cut, will slowly spread by seed.

Plant in autumn, September to November, at 10–15cm depth and 20–25cm apart, or scattered and planted where they fall for a natural effect. The small bulbs dry out quickly, so plant them as soon as they arrive. If planting in grass, leave the area uncut until the seed has set and the foliage has died back — usually late June or July.

Supplied as dry bulbs, 5–6cm size, for autumn planting. Its status as a British native is debated, but it is a long-established plant of floodplain meadows and a favourite for naturalistic planting.