Fritillaria Bulbs

Fritillaria: How to grow them (and why!)

Sometimes known as ‘chequered daffodil’, ‘chequered lily’ or ‘drooping tulip’, Fritillary flowers are just as pretty as the best-known springtime flowers, with extra unique shapes and patterned petals that are sure to draw attention! They grow on thin, drooping stems with rounded flower heads like a bowl or a bell - a shape that’s awfully good for framing beds, borders, and even ponds or other water features.

Fun Facts

This flower happens to share a name with a species of American butterfly. It’s a fairly funny coincidence, but not one without an explanation; the name is derived from the Latin word ‘fritillus’, meaning ‘dice box’. An odd selection for naming, but strangely fitting when one considers both the speckled black-and-orange pattern on the butterflies and the snake-head fritillary’s checkerboard pattern.

How to Grow

Fritillaries are flowers that best grow in well-drained soil, but are capable of tolerating more moisture than other flowers. Similarly, they’re not particularly picky on whether they grow in full sun or partial shade. In either case, they’re best planted in autumn, often in individual pots until they have enough strength to be moved into the garden in later months. Exposure to a little cold is important for encouraging growth in fritillaria, so keep them outdoors in winter or make your own winter by storing them in the refrigerator!

Species & Styles

By far the most popular type of fritillary is the ‘snake’s-head fritillary’ due to its unique white-and-magenta-chequered petals that are evocative of a picnic blanket! However, it’s not the only fritillary with a unique pattern: the Fritillaria affinis, also known as the chocolate lily, is an American-native variant with deep red petals mottled with green. It thrives better in drier, sandy soil than other fritillaries. The ‘Fox’s Grape Fritillary’ shares a similar wine-like colouration, but with solid yellow tips, giving it a more stately, elegant beauty that’s best appreciated as a stand-alone display in a pot, or a large naturalised cluster. Its shape also works well with tulips, narcissus and hyacinths in bright shades!

Fritillaria imperialis, on the other hand, is a vastly different species from all other fritillaries that require special care. For a start, it grows a whopping metre tall (compared to the small-to-medium height around 30cm you’d get from most other fritillaries), and grows an upright, dark stem crowned by spiky, glossy foliage and a cluster of drooping bell-shaped flowers in a warm orange or gold. This majestic flower requires to be buried deep in the ground (around 1 foot or 30cm deep), and should have a well-drained bed in the sun. They look particularly good in a gravel bed!