All flowers
Checkered Lily Wikimedia Commons
Liliaceae

Checkered Lily

Fritillaria meleagris

Persecution and majesty.

Family
Liliaceae
Genus
Fritillaria
Native to
Europe, Western Asia
Bloom season
Spring
Type
bulb
Height
0.5-1 ft
Sunlight
part shade
Soil
moist, well-drained
Water
moderate
Hardiness
3-8
Lifespan
perennial

Did you know

  • Its distinctive checkered pattern is one of the rarest naturally occurring patterns in the plant kingdom.
  • The species name 'meleagris' refers to the guinea fowl, whose plumage has a similar checkered pattern.
  • It is the county flower of Oxfordshire in England, where it grows wild in ancient meadows.
  • The checkered pattern is created by different pigment concentrations in alternating cells of the petals.
  • Also known as 'snake's head fritillary,' the drooping bell-shaped flowers resemble a snake's head.

Color meanings

0

majesty

1

pride

2

persecution

Uses

  • ornamental garden
  • wildflower meadows
  • naturalizing in lawns