Snake's head fritillary

Snake's head fritillary: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Slender, straight stem 20–30 cm tall with a few leaves, barely 8 cm wide.

Leaves

Three to five narrow, grey-green, grassy leaves spaced along the stem.

Flower

Usually one, sometimes two nodding bells at the top, in April–May.

Colour

A chequerboard pattern in purple, pink and lilac; white forms have a faint greenish network.

Bulb

Small white bulb made of a few fleshy scales, without a protective tunic; it dries out quickly.

Flowering: April–May · Plants: September–October

Why grow it?

• One of the most remarkable spring flowers, with a true chequerboard pattern.
• Ideal for naturalising in grass that is mown late.
• Suits damp, heavy soil, where many other bulbs rot.
• A source of nectar for bumblebees and bees in April–May.
• Small but striking, and in the right spot it comes back in greater numbers every year.

Snake's head fritillary: where does it grow best?

• Sun or partial shade.
• Moist, humus-rich soil: loam, clay or peat, neutral to chalky.
• The soil must not dry out in spring; it does tolerate wet feet in winter.
• Ideal in grass that does not dry out, at a pond edge or in a moist border.
• Plant 10 cm apart, in groups of at least ten for a natural look.

Light

Sun and partial shade

Soil type

Loam, clay or peat

Acidity

Neutral or chalky

Moisture

Normal or wet

Size

0.3 m tall, 0.08 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -30 °C)

Goes well with

• Wild daffodil: Flowers just a little earlier and also likes a meadow.
• Camassia: Blue spikes in May, in the same moist soil.
• Cuckooflower: Lilac flowers in the same damp meadow.
• Ragged robin: Pink, frilly flowers that take over in May and June.
• Marsh marigold: Golden flowers beside the purple bells, at the pond edge.

Snake's head fritillary: when and how to plant it?

Plant in September–October.

1. Plant in September–October, as soon as possible after buying: the bulbs dry out quickly.
2. Use a bulb planter or narrow trowel to make holes 8–10 cm deep.
3. Set the bulbs pointed end up, about 10 cm apart, in loose groups.
4. In grass: lift a piece of turf, plant a few bulbs underneath and put the turf back.
5. Firm the soil and water in if it is dry.

Care

Watering

Keep the soil moist in spring; water during a dry spring.

Feeding

Not needed, certainly not in grass: fertiliser makes the grass too vigorous.

Mowing

Only mow the grass around the plants at the end of June, when the leaves are yellow and the seed is ripe.

Self-seeding

Leave the seed pods: in a good spot it self-seeds.

Tip: Only mow the grass where they grow at the end of June: the seed ripens and the group gets bigger every year.

Snake's head fritillary: when to prune it?

When: No pruning is needed. Let the flowers and leaves die back after flowering and only mow at the end of June.

How:

• Leave the faded flowers so seed can ripen.
• Leave the leaves until they are yellow: this is how the bulb builds up reserves.
• In grass, only mow once the seed pods are open and empty, usually at the end of June.

Caution: If you mow the grass too early, the fritillary will disappear after a few years.

Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Seed

In a good spot it self-seeds. You can also sow fresh seed in summer or autumn in a pot left outdoors: it needs winter cold to germinate. Seedlings flower after three to four years.

Offsets

Larger bulbs sometimes form small bulbs. Detach them in summer and replant them straight away.

Snake's head fritillary: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −30 °C.

• Fully hardy to −30 °C; no protection needed.
• Wet soil in winter is no problem: in the wild its meadows are sometimes flooded.
• In pots: never let the compost dry out completely, not even in summer while the bulb rests.

Diseases and pests

• Lily beetle: The red beetles and their larvae sometimes eat leaves and flowers. Pick them off.
• Fails to appear: Dried-out bulbs. Buy them fresh and plant them straight away.
• Disappears after a few years: A spot that is too dry or mown too early. Choose a moister spot and only mow at the end of June.
• Slugs: In a damp garden they eat young shoots and flowers. Picking them off in the evening helps.

Through the year

• March: Shoots appear. Keep the soil moist.
• April: Flowering. Water in dry spells.
• May: End of flowering. Leave the flowers to set seed.
• June: Mow at the end of June, once the seed is ripe.
• July: Sow fresh seed in a pot and leave it outdoors.
• September: Buy bulbs and plant them straight away.
• October: Plant the last bulbs, 8–10 cm deep.

Edible and useful

Not edible. All parts of fritillaries, such as snake’s head fritillary and crown imperial, are poisonous, especially the bulbs: they contain alkaloids that can cause vomiting, stomach ache and diarrhoea, in children as well as in dogs and cats. The bulbs have no protective papery skin: bare and white or yellowish, they can be mistaken for onions or garlic, although the crown imperial bulb has a strong foxy smell. So never store them with the kitchen onions, plant them as soon as you buy them (they dry out quickly), and do not leave loose bulbs lying where dogs or cats could chew them. Wear gloves when planting and when cutting the stems, and wash your hands afterwards. If any is swallowed, call a poison centre (in Belgium 070 245 245) or your doctor at once.

Good for wildlife

Bees

Nectar and pollen for honeybees and wild bees.

Did you know?

• The scientific name meleagris means guinea fowl: the chequered pattern recalls that bird’s plumage.
• Its Dutch name, kievitsbloem or lapwing flower, refers to the speckled eggs of the lapwing.
• In the Netherlands the best-known wild snake’s head fritillaries grow in the hay meadows along the Zwarte Water near Zwolle, where they colour whole fields in April.