Snake's Head Fritillary
Fritillaria meleagris
Snake's Head Fritillary is a bulb for bulb layer, suited to full sun to partial shade and clay, loam or moist ground, flowering Apr, May.
| Type | Bulb |
|---|---|
| Mature height | 30 cm |
| Spread | 8 cm |
| Aspect | full sun to partial shade |
| Foliage | Deciduous |
| Hardiness | USDA 4a-8b, RHS H5 |
| Pollinator-friendly | Yes |
| Pet-safe | No |
Where to use it in a border
At around 30 cm, it sits best along the front edge, where a low, spreading habit reads best. Give it about 8 cm of room to spread, roughly 12 to the metre when planted in a drift. It is hardy across USDA zones 4a to 8b and rated H5 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 Snake's Head Fritillary'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:
- Wild Daffodilto flower when it does not
- Bee Balm 'Jacob Cline'for height behind it
- Betonyto edge in front
- Blue Mistflowerto edge in front
- Burnet 'Tanna'to flower when it does not
- Cardinal Flowerfor height behind it