Fritillaria meleagris 'Mix'
"Snake's head fritillary"
Orders placed before 1 September 2024
You can expect your order in September 2024
Orders placed 1 September - 15 October 2024
You can expect your order in October 2023
Orders placed 16 October - 15 December 2024
You can expect your order within 10 business days
UK orders over £50
Free shipping
UK orders under £50
£4.99
Northern Ireland orders under £50
£5.99
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Description
The polka-dotted beauty of Fritillaria meleagris is admired in the plant world. It’s as though cheerful fairies have donned festive finery before romping through your garden to celebrate the arrival of spring. But whoever dreamed up the common name was thinking of things less gorgeous, and the name 'Snake’s Head Fritillary' seems to have stuck. Still, there’s nothing to stop you thinking of fairies!
As pretty as it is, you’d expect Fritillaria meleagris (sometimes called 'Checkered Lily') to be a trifle fussy, but if you choose a sunny to lightly shaded spot in well-drained soil, your flowers will be here to stay, coming up naturally every year without any need for lifting and storing bulbs.
Fritillaria meleagris was once abundant in the UK, particularly in the Thames Valley and parts of Wiltshire, and was sold as a cut flower at the markets of London, Oxford, and Birmingham.
Key features
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Good for cutting
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Perfect for pots
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Comes back every year
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Attractive to wildlife
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Loved by pollinators
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Naturalising
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Thrives well in full sun
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Packed in paper bags
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Low maintenance
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RHS Award (AGM)
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Fully hardy
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Rodent resistant
Specs & details
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Botanical name
Fritillaria meleagris mixta
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Flower colour
Purple, white
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Bulb size
7/+
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Established height
20-30cm
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Established spread
5-10cm
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Plant spacing
100 bulbs per m2
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Leaf colour
Green
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Habit
Upright
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Life cycle
Perennial
Naturalising -
Hardiness
Fully hardy
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Years to establish
1-2 years
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Sunlight
Full sun
Partial shade
Full shade -
Position
Sheltered
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Suitable for
Pots
Large containers
Borders
Meadows
lawns
Wildlife gardens
Cottage gardens
Low maintenance gardens -
Soil acidity
Any
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Soil moisture
Damp
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Soil type
Loam
Sandy
Multipurpose compost
Loam-based compost
Clay -
Growing skill
Easy to grow
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Scented
No
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Pollinator-friendly
Yes
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Mouse resistant
Yes
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Rabbit resistant
Yes
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Deer resistant
Yes
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Toxicity
No report
Plant calendar
Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | June | July | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
- Planting
- Flowering
Useful information
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Plant your Fritillaria meleagris 'Mix' bulbs from mid to late autumn;
Plant in borders or containers in sun or partial shade;
Plant your "Snake's head fritillary" bulbs two to three times as deep as the bulb is high;
Space the bulbs about twice the bulb diameter apart;
Place the Fritillaria meleagris 'Mix' bulbs with the pointed side facing upwards.
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Orders placed before 1 September 2025
You can expect your order in September 2025Orders placed 1 September - 15 October 2025
You can expect your order in October 2025Orders placed 16 October - 15 December 2025
You can expect your order within 10 business days
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