Common Name: Snakehead Fritillary

General Information

Fritillaria meleagris is a perennial plant growing from a globose bulb around 7 - 15mm in diameter; the flowering stem is up to 30cm tall[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine. It is often grown as an ornamental.

Known Hazards

The bulb is poisonous[].

Botanical References

, ,

Range

Central and southern Europe - France and Germany, east to southern European Russia and West Siberia

Habitat

Damp woods, meadows and pastures[, ], especially on alkaline soils[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Habit	Bulb
Height	0.30 m
Pollinators	Bees, Self
Self-fertile	Yes
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Fritillaria meleagris is a very cold-hardy plant, tolerating temperatures down to around -30°c.
An easily grown plant, it prefers a moist non-acid soil and a sunny position[, , ]. Succeeds in any soil, preferring a light soil with plenty of humus[, ]. Succeeds in sun or light shade[, ]. Grows well in short turf[].
A very ornamental plant[], it often self-sows when in a suitable position.
Rabbits are very fond of this plant and will destroy it wholesale if given the opportunity[].
A good plant for the spring meadow[, , ]. The flowers are very attractive to bees[].
Plants should not be allowed to dry out in the summer[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The plant formerly had a reputation as a healing herb, but is not used at present[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as ripe in a well-drained, sandy or gritty soil in a cold frame, it should germinate in the spring[]. Protect from frost[]. Stored seed should be sown as soon as possible and can take a year or more to germinate[]. Sow the seed quite thinly to avoid the need to prick out the seedlings. Once they have germinated, give them an occasional liquid feed to ensure that they do not suffer mineral deficiency. Once they die down at the end of their second growing season, divide up the small bulbs, planting 2 - 3 to an 8cm deep pot. Grow them on for at least another year in light shade in the greenhouse before planting them out whilst dormant.
Division of offsets in August[]. The larger bulbs can be planted out direct into their permanent positions, but it is best to pot up the smaller bulbs and grow them on in a cold frame for a year before planting them out in the autumn.
Bulb scales[].