Fritillaria meleagris – Fritillary

With large, nodding, bell shaped flowers a chequer board of pale and dark purple or of cream, fritillaries are unlikely to be mistaken for any other plant. Flowers from April to May.

Habitat Information
Fritillary is a medium height, bulbous perennial of damp, neutral hay meadows that are grazed in late summer and autumn.
In the wild the heartland of this rare plant are the traditionally managed floodplain meadows of the Thames valley. These meadows overlay gravel terraces so, although often damp and sometimes flooded in winter, they rarely if ever become waterlogged. Even here there is some debate as to whether they are native. Although found growing some distance from habitation and behave as truly wild plants it seems strange that such an attractive and distinctive species was not recorded in the wild until 1736.

Growing Information
A spring germinating plant best sown in the autumn.