Practical
Plants

Fritillaria meleagris

Snakehead Fritillary

a member of the Fritillaria genus in the family Liliaceae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Family
Liliaceae
Height
0.3 m
Spread
0.08 m
Fertility
Self fertile, Bees, Self
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Bees, Self

Uses

Toxicity

Toxicity warning. The historical record reports a hazard for this plant. Do not use it to decide which parts are safe to eat or use medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The bulb is poisonous[2].

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The plant formerly had a reputation as a healing herb, but is not used at present[9].

Environment

Range
Europe, including Britain, from Sweden south and west to France, Serbia and the Lower Volga.
Habitat
Damp meadows and pastures[6], especially on alkaline soils[11].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 4+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - best sown as soon as ripe in a cold frame, it should germinate in the spring[1]. Protect from frost[4]. Stored seed should be sown as soon as possible and can take a year or more to germinate[4]. 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[1]. 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[5].

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Prefers a moist non-acid soil and a sunny position[6][8][10]. Succeeds in any soil, preferring a light soil with plenty of humus[1][11]. Succeeds in sun or light shade[1][11]. Grows well in short turf[3]. A very ornamental plant[1], 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[9]. A good plant for the spring meadow[8][11][4]. The flowers are very attractive to bees[3]. Plants should not be allowed to dry out in the summer[11].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5

  2. Polunin. O. Flowers of Europe - A Field Guide. Oxford University Press 1969-00-00 ISBN 0192176218

    ↩

  3. International Bee Research Association. Garden Plants Valuable to Bees. International Bee Research Association. 1981-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  4. Rice. G. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 2. Thompson and Morgan. 1988-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3

  5. RHS Lily Group. Lilies and Related Plants.

    ↩

  6. Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press 1962-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  7. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

  8. Baines. C. Making a Wildlife Garden.

    ↩1↩2

  9. Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984-00-00 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9

    ↩1↩2

  10. Grey. C. H. Hardy Bulbs. Williams & Norgate. 1938-00-00

    ↩

  11. Phillips. R. and Rix. M. Bulbs Pan Books 1989-00-00 ISBN 0-330-30253-1

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5

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