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Checkered Lily

Spring-Flowering Bulb

Also known as Snake's Head Fritillary , Guinea Hen Flower
Fritillaria meleagris
Liliaceae Family

One of the most unusual plants in the springitme garden, Checkered Lily bears striking, boxy, pendulous maroon blooms with paler purple spotting in a checkerboard pattern. With grassy foliage and a loose, open growth habit, it is especially attractive in grassy naturalized areas.

	Site and Plant Characteristics
	Growing Information
	Varieties

Site Characteristics

Sunlight:

part shade

Soil conditions:

requires damp soil

Prefers moist, rich soil. Do not allow soil to dry out, even when dormant.

Hardiness zones:

3 to 8

Plant Traits

Lifecycle: perennial

Ease-of-care: easy

Height: 0.75 to 1 feet

Spread: 0.25 to 0.5 feet

Bloom time: mid-spring

Flower color:

violet
white
other

Blooms are usually deep violet/maroon, with pale violet spotting in a checkerboard pattern. There are also white forms, with green markings.

Foliage color: medium green

Foliage texture: medium

Shape:

upright
grass-like

Shape in flower:

flower stalks with flowers as cups
flower stalks with flowers hanging downward

Blooms hang from erect flower stems rising above the foliage and have a boxy cup-like shape.

Special Considerations

Special characteristics:

deer resistant
aggressive - Spreads easily by seed. Best grown in naturalized settings where it can freely roam.
non-invasive
not native to North America - Native to Europe

Growing Information

How to plant:

Propagate by seed, division or separation - Divide mature bulblets from the parent plant and replant in moist soil. Collect fresh seeds and sow out in a tray. Transplant when they reach a mangeable size.

Maintenance and care:

Do not allow soil to dry out, even when plants are dormant.
More growing information: How to Grow Bulbs

Varieties

'Aphrodite': pure white blooms.
'Charon': purple blooms.
'Saturnus': red/purple blooms.