Plant care & info

Family: Liliaceae

Genus: Fritillaria

Common Names: Checkered lily, chocolate lily, mission bells, snakes head, frog cup

Throughout Europe, North Africa, Mediterranean, temperate Asia and North America

Fritillaria full to partial sun (depending on species). They thrive in well-drained soil that remains moist soils while actively growing, and dry when dormant. They’re great candidates for containers.

Fertilize with bone meal or bulb food mix once in the fall, and then again during the early growing season. Fritillaria have a tendency not to bloom in the first year. Plant the bulb on its side to prevent the hollow middle from rotting out.

Fritillaria can be propagated from seed or bulblets. Bulbs bruise easily, so handle with care.

Slugs, snails, cut worms and moles. Protect them from moles by laying chicken wire, or pumice underneath the bulb site. Fritillaria are also prone to root rot if soil drainage is poor.

It is as if the pendant bell shaped flowers are waiting to be worn by a fairy as a hat or skirt. A visit to Catherine Creek in Washington—or Tom McCall nature preserve past Mosier, Oregon— offer opportunities to experience these magical flowers in the wild.

These plants have an incredible menagerie of colors and patterns, from solid pale yellow to dusky purple with yellow tips. The dainty Frittilaria meleagris, a native species, holds stunning purple and white checkered bells 6-8” above the soil. They pair beautifully with primroses, mondo grass or rhododendrons. Frittilaria imperalis offers a taller, bolder look, with spires of orange or yellow bells. It combines well with the colorful foliage of Heuchera or feathery gold foliage of Tanacetum ‘Isla Gold’.

These bulbs enjoy a dry dormant season in the summer, making them excellent candidates for planting under deciduous trees, in rock gardens, and in garden beds with minimal summer irrigation. They add an incredibly unique look to any container or well drained garden bed, offering something a little different during the early spring bulb display.