Snake’s head fritillary flower: planting, care & propagation

Anika
Anika
Anika
Anika

I studied agricultural sciences and have always preferred spending my free time outdoors. Apart for my enthusiasm for gardening and agriculture, I love taking photos and rarely leave home without my camera. Whether it is landscapes, blossoms or wildlife, I can usually find a perfect shot that captures the beauty of nature.

Favourite fruit: strawberries, blueberries, plums
Favourite vegetables: radishes, tomatoes, pumpkin

The snake’s head plant really stands out with its unique chess board patterned blossoms. Here you will discover where the snake’s head flower feels most at home, as well as our top tips for planting, care, and propagation.

Red and violet chequered lily flowers
Easy to identify by the striking markings on its petals: the chess flower [Photo: imulade/ Shutterstock.com]

The snake’s head fritillary plant (Fritillaria meleagris) has lots of common names including chess flower, frog-cup and chequered lily. Its striking chequered pattern blooms early and comes in many different shades, making the flower a beautiful addition to any garden.

Snake’s head plant: flowering, origin & characteristics

The snake’s head flower belongs to the lily family (Liliaceae). The perennial plant grows from small bulbs measuring about 2cm in diameter. This bulb produces a shoot in the Spring, which develops into a 15 to 30cm tall, reddish-brown stem. The snake’s head flower has between four and six narrow, pointed leaves, and one bell-shaped hanging flower per plant. It flowers between mid-April and early May, with the individual flowers lasting about five days. The purple-white spotted pattern of the petals resembles the pattern of a chess board or the feathering of the guinea hen: this explains its species name “meleagris” which translates as “resembling guinea fowl”.

The snake’s head plant’s origins span across Austria, Slovenia, Hungary, Croatia, and Romania. The flower is native to central and northern Europe but can only be found in specific locations because its habitat is rather limited. The snake’s head flower thrives in wetlands, on the floodplains alongside rivers.

Fact: Due to declining numbers of snake’s head plants, the species is classified as “Vulnerable” on the Vascular Plant Red Data List for Great Britain.

Snake’s head plant varieties

There are several varieties of the snake’s head plant which differ in colour, but all display the typical chessboard pattern.

Red snake’s head flower varieties

  • ′Saturnus′: red/purple flower with a clear chessboard pattern
  • ′Mars′: deep red/purple flower with blue-green leaves
  • ‘Charon’: dark red/deep purple flower with a light purple chessboard pattern

White snake’s head flower varieties

  • ′Alba′: white flower with a visible chessboard pattern
  • ′Aphrodite′: white flower with a paler chessboard pattern and green lines
  • ′Pomona′: white/light purple with green lines
White, pink and purple snake’s head flowers in a garden
The varieties differ in flower colour and the intensity of the chequered pattern [Photo: Cristian Gusa/ Shutterstock.com]

Yellow chequered lilies: a close relative of the snake’s head flower

Some species of the genus Fritillaria look quite similar to the Fritillaria meleagris but have different origins. Examples of this include the Fritillaria kurdica, with greenish-yellow flowers and chess board markings, and the Fritillaria collina, with bright yellow flowers and a red chessboard pattern.

Planting snake’s head flower: where and how

In the garden, snake’s head plants thrive in a sunny or semi-shady spot with moist soil. However, it can also be grown indoors, given a sufficient water supply. A low-nutrient, peat-free potting soil such as our Plantura Organic Herb & Seedling Compost would be ideal for this.

Plant the snake’s head bulbs between August and November, at a depth of 8 to 10cm and covered with soil. After planting, press down lightly on the soil, and make sure to keep the soil moist.

Tip: To ensure that the bulbs don’t rot, add a thin layer of sand to the bottom of the container before planting. This will help any excess water to drain away.

Organic Herb & Seedling Compost, 20L
Organic Herb & Seedling Compost, 20L
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(4.8/5)
  • Perfect for herbs as well as sowing, propagating & transplanting
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The snake’s head flower is also well suited as a houseplant but must always be kept moist and not exposed to extreme temperature fluctuations or heat. Additionally, you will need to change the soil roughly every two years.

Snake’s head plant care

Given that the snake’s head flower grows naturally in wetlands, it needs plenty of water. Aside from regular watering, the plant is very robust and low maintenance.

In the spring, give your snake’s head a small amount of fertiliser to provide it with the necessary nutrients: our Plantura Liquid Flower Food is ideal for this. Alternatively, you could use compost. Read our article on using compost as fertiliser for more information about this and the different types of compost.

After flowering, the snake’s head plant draws nutrients from its foliage back into its own bulbs and withers.

Tip: As with other bulbous plants, you should not immediately cut off the withered parts, as the bulbs can absorb valuable nutrients from them to store for budding the following year. However, once the foliage has completely yellowed, you can remove the parts of the plant remaining above the ground.

Liquid Flower Food, 800ml
Liquid Flower Food, 800ml
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(5/5)
  • Perfect for all flowers & balcony plants
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Overwintering snake’s head

Snake’s head flower is a very hardy perennial. Given the right conditions, it will grow back each year. Provided you do not cut the plants back too early, the bulbs can store enough energy to produce new shoots the following year.

The bulbs can quite easily survive the winter, but we still recommend marking each bulb with a small wooden stick so as to not forget where they are and to protect them from damage when tending to your flower bed or replanting during the winter period.

Snake’s head fritillary propagation

There are two ways to propagate the snake’s head plant.

The first method is with bulbs. To obtain bulbs for replanting, dig up the plant after it has wilted at the end of the growth phase, and carefully separate the newly formed bulbs from the main bulbs. It is important to ensure that this is done delicately, to minimise any damage to the bulbs. To prevent the new bulbs from drying out, replant them straight after separating from the main bulbs, and keep their soil moist.

The second method is propagating the snake’s head fritillary from seed. Though, it is worth noting that this method is quite tricky, as the seeds of the snake’s head flower are not easy to germinate.

If you wish to use this method, you will need a suitable soil, such as our Plantura Herb & Seedling Compost. The seeds must be placed on to the compost one by one and covered lightly. Make sure to keep the soil moist. Propagating the snake’s head flower from seeds requires a lot of patience, and it may take a couple of years before the first flower develops.

Organic Herb & Seedling Compost, 20L
Organic Herb & Seedling Compost, 20L
star-placeholder star-placeholder star-placeholder star-placeholder star-placeholder
star-rating star-rating star-rating star-rating star-rating
(4.8/5)
  • Perfect for herbs as well as sowing, propagating & transplanting
  • For aromatic herbs & healthy seedlings with strong roots
  • Peat-free & organic soil: CO2-saving composition
£12.49

Tip: how to germinate snake’s head fritillary seeds?
After the ripening period in Autumn, you can harvest and save the seeds. The snake’s head plant is a cold germinator, meaning the seeds must be stratified before sowing. To do this, store the seeds in a warm place (18 to 20°C) for two weeks, and then between 0 and 5°C for a further four to six weeks. This process will stimulate the seeds to germinate, before sowing in a propagator.

Toxicity of the snake’s head flower

The snake’s head flower is poisonous and should not be ingested under any circumstances. All parts of the plant, especially the bulbs, contain toxic alkaloids such as imperialin.

Is the snake’s head fritillary bee friendly?

As the snake’s head flower has a short flowering period, it is only partially insect friendly. However, the plant does flower early and provides a valuable food source for honeybees and bumblebees.

Interested in learning more about lily plants? Discover all you need to know about buying, planting and caring for them in our article on lilies.

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