Michael's flower

Michael's flower: how do you recognise it?

Habit

A small bulb 15–20 cm tall and about 8 cm wide, with a straight, slender stem.

Leaves

Narrow, strap-shaped and grey-green, scattered along the stem; they disappear after flowering.

Flowers

Two to five hanging bells about 2–3 cm long, deep brown-purple with a yellow rim, in April and May.

Bulb

A small, white bulb of fleshy scales without a protective tunic; it dries out quickly.

Dormancy

In summer it goes dormant and wants to stay dry: it hates wet feet at that time.

Flowering: April–May · Plants: September–October

Why grow it?

• Strikingly coloured bells: brown-purple with a yellow rim, unlike any other small bulb.
• Stays small (15–20 cm), so it fits a rock garden, a trough or a pot.
• Flowers in April and May, when the rock garden is still quiet.
• Bumblebees and bees visit the hanging flowers for nectar.
• Returns year after year in a sunny, dry spot and needs little upkeep.

Michael's flower: where does it grow best?

• Full sun, preferably a warm spot in a rock garden, a raised bed or against a south-facing wall.
• Very free-draining sandy or loamy soil, neutral to chalky; mix in plenty of coarse sand or fine grit.
• Dry to normally moist: slightly moist in spring, dry in summer.
• Plant 8–10 cm apart, in groups of at least ten bulbs for the best effect.

Light

Sun

Soil type

Sand or loam

Acidity

Neutral or chalky

Moisture

Dry or normal

Size

0.2 m tall, 0.08 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -20 °C)

Goes well with

• Stonecrop: Low, drought-tolerant greenery that covers the soil and keeps the bulb dry.
• Species crocus: Flowers earlier in the same spot and adds colour at the start of spring.
• Grape hyacinth: Blue clumps in April, at the same time as the brown-purple bells.
• Ornamental grasses: Fine grasses such as blue fescue fill the gap after flowering.

Michael's flower: 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. Dig a hole 8–10 cm deep, roughly three times the height of the bulb.
3. Put a layer of coarse sand or grit at the bottom so that water cannot collect.
4. Set the bulb on its flat base, 8–10 cm from the next.
5. Cover with soil and water lightly; in a pot, use a sandy, sharply draining mix.

Care

Watering

In spring only in dry weather. After flowering and in summer not at all.

Feeding

After flowering, a light dose of potassium-rich feed; nothing more is needed.

Mulching

A thin layer of fine grit around the plant keeps the soil dry and prevents splashing.

Leaves

Leave the leaves until they turn yellow, usually in June: this is how the bulb refills its reserves.

Pot

Use a small, deep pot with plenty of drainage holes and keep it dry and out of the rain in summer.

Tip: Provide a dry summer rest and good drainage: work coarse sand or grit into the soil and choose a sunny spot in the rock garden or a pot.

Michael's flower: when to prune it?

When: This bulb is not pruned. At most you cut off spent flowers and, later, the dead leaves.

How:

• Cut off spent flowers if you do not want seed.
• Leave the leaves until they turn yellow, usually in June.
• Remove leaf remains only once they come away easily.

Caution: Never cut off green leaves: the bulb needs them to flower next year.

Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Separating bulblets

In July–August, once the leaves have gone: lift the bulbs, gently detach the bulblets and replant them straight away 8–10 cm deep.

Seed

Sow fresh seed in autumn in a pot of sandy compost and leave it outdoors. It takes several years for the seedlings to flower.

Michael's flower: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −20 °C.

• Fully hardy, to about −20 °C: cold is not a problem.
• The danger lies in wet winters: ensure good drainage or use a raised bed.
• In a pot: put it in a sheltered spot out of the rain and do not let it get waterlogged.

Diseases and pests

• Bulb rot: The bulb turns soft and the leaves yellow early or fail to appear. It is usually too wet; improve the drainage.
• Lily beetle: Bright red beetles and their slimy larvae on leaves and stems in April–June. Pick them off by hand.
• Slugs: They eat young shoots and buds in spring. Collect them in the evening or put down a barrier of coarse grit.
• Bulbs fail to come up: The bulbs were dried out or the soil is too wet in summer. Buy firm bulbs and plant them at once.

Through the year

• February: The shoots come up.
• March: Watch for slugs. Water in dry weather.
• April: Flowering begins.
• May: In flower. Cut off spent flowers if you wish.
• June: The leaves turn yellow: do not cut them too early.
• July: Summer dormancy. Divide clumps if needed.
• August: Separate the bulblets and replant them straight away.
• September: Plant new bulbs.
• October: Plant bulbs. Check the drainage.

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?

• It comes from north-eastern Turkey.
• The yellow rim around the brown-purple bells makes it one of the easiest small fritillaries to recognise.
• Fritillary bulbs have no protective tunic, so they dry out faster than tulips or daffodils.