PlantSowGrow
How to grow Snake's Head Fritillary
Fritillaria meleagris
Nodding, chequered purple-and-white bells in April. A native of damp meadows that naturalises beautifully in grass.
At a glance: Sow early September to early October.
When to sow, plant and harvest
Timed for a typical UK garden (last frost mid-April). The app uses your own town's frost dates.
Growing Snake's Head Fritillary: what it needs
- Light
- Part shade · 6+ hours a day
- Watering
- Water pots in dry spells while in leaf; keep drier when dormant
- Soil
- Well-drained soil or bulb compost
- Spacing
- 10 cm
- Height
- 30 cm
- In pots
- Grows well in containers
- Feeding
- Feed with a high-potash liquid feed as flowers fade
- Hardiness
- USDA zones 4–8
Step by step
- Early September – early October · 6 weeks before the first autumn frost
Plant Bulbs
Plant 10 cm deep and 10 cm apart, pointy end up, in well-drained soil or pots. Water in.
- 100–150 days after “Plant Bulbs” · Mid December – early February
Look for Shoots
Green shoots should be showing. Keep pots moist but not wet and watch for slugs on young leaves.
Every year
- AprilIn Flower
Your bulbs should be in flower — a good moment for a journal photo.
- AprilCheck for Lily Beetles
Pick off bright red lily beetles from the leaves and flowers.
- MayDeadhead and Feed
Snap off faded flower heads (not the leaves) and give a high-potash feed to build up the bulb for next year.
- JuneLet the Leaves Die Back
Leave the foliage for at least six weeks after flowering, until it yellows — don't knot or cut it. Then tidy it away.
