Checker Lily

Fritillaria affinis

Checker Lily is a bulb for bulb layer, suited to full sun to partial shade and clay, loam or moist ground, flowering Jul, Aug, Sep.

Where to use it in a border

At around 60 cm, it sits best through the middle of a border, between taller structure behind and edging in front. Give it about 10 cm of room to spread, roughly 10 to the metre when planted in a drift. It is hardy across USDA zones 5a to 8b and rated H6 by the RHS, so check it suits your area before planting.

It appears in our lists of full sun, clay soil, wet soil, pollinator-friendly plants.

Border Builder uses Checker Lily's height, spread, soil, bloom months and companions to place it in a full border plan for your own conditions, on iPhone and iPad.

Flowering through the year

Worth knowing

• It copes with ground that stays wet, which most border plants will not.
• Not recorded as pet-safe; site it away from pets that graze if that matters to you.
• Its flowers are valued by bees and other pollinators.

Good companions

Plants that share its conditions and style, chosen to complement its place in the border:

• African Iristo flower when it does not
• Allegheny Monkeyflowerto edge in front
• Allium 'Purple Sensation'to flower when it does not
• American Beautyberryfor height behind it
• American Cranberrybush 'Redwing'for height behind it
• American Elderberry 'Adams'for height behind it

Garden styles

Wildlife garden