Fox's grape fritillary

Fox's grape fritillary: how do you recognise it?

Habit

A small bulb 20–25 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

One or two hanging bells about 2–3 cm long, plum-coloured with yellow tips and a yellow inside, in April and May.

Bulb

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

Dormancy

After flowering the leaves die back and the bulb rests in summer.

Flowering: April–May · Plants: September–October

Why grow it?

• Graceful, plum-coloured bells with a yellow inside: elegant and yet dark in colour.
• One of the easiest small fritillaries, even in ordinary garden soil.
• Tolerates sun and light shade and suits a border, a rock garden or grass.
• Flowers in April and May and gives bumblebees and bees nectar.
• Spreads slowly, so a small group grows denser and prettier over the years.

Fox's grape fritillary: where does it grow best?

• Sun to partial shade: a spot with sun in spring is ideal.
• Well-drained sandy, loamy or clay soil, neutral to chalky; mix a little coarse sand into heavy clay.
• Normally moist in spring; drier in summer, but not bone dry.
• Plant 8–10 cm apart, in groups of ten or more bulbs.

Light

Sun and partial shade

Soil type

Sand, loam or clay

Acidity

Neutral or chalky

Moisture

Normal

Size

0.25 m tall, 0.08 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -20 °C)

Goes well with

• Grape hyacinth: Small blue clumps that flower at the same time and contrast prettily with the plum colour.
• Daffodil: Small species daffodils in yellow or white flower at the same moment.
• Forget-me-not: A soft blue haze around the bells, flowering at the same time.
• Ornamental grasses: Fine grasses fill the spot in summer, when the bulb is resting.

Fox's grape 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. Dig a hole 8–10 cm deep, roughly three times the height of the bulb.
3. In clay, mix in some coarse sand so that water drains away well.
4. Set the bulb on its flat base, 8–10 cm from the next.
5. Cover with soil, firm lightly and water if it is dry.

Care

Watering

In spring in dry weather. In summer usually not needed.

Feeding

After flowering, a light dose of potassium-rich feed or a little compost.

Mulching

A thin layer of fine compost in autumn keeps the soil loose.

Leaves

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

In grass

Mow only once the leaves are yellow and the leaf remains come away.

Tip: Plant it in grass or among low perennials, where it spreads slowly, and mow only once the leaves have turned yellow.

Fox's grape fritillary: 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 or mow 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 a clump, gently separate 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.

Fox's grape fritillary: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −20 °C.

• Fully hardy, to about −20 °C: no protection needed.
• Wet soil in winter is more dangerous than cold: make sure the drainage is good.
• In a pot: put it in a sheltered spot and protect the pot from freezing through, without letting it get waterlogged.

Diseases and pests

• Lily beetle: Bright red beetles and their slimy larvae on leaves and stems from April to 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 sand.
• Bulb rot: The bulb turns soft and the leaves yellow early or fail to appear. It is usually too wet; improve the drainage.
• Bulbs fail to come up: The bulbs were dried out when bought. 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 or mow them too early.
• July: Summer dormancy. Divide clumps if needed.
• August: Separate the bulbs and replant them straight away.
• September: Plant new bulbs.
• October: Plant bulbs. Thin layer of compost.

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 species name uva-vulpis is Latin for ‘fox’s grape’.
• It used to be called Fritillaria assyriaca, after ancient Assyria, a region corresponding to northern Iraq today.
• Fritillary bulbs have no protective tunic, so they dry out faster than tulips or daffodils.