From dazzling to delicate Fritillaries

Whether you want a loud and proud border beauty or something more subtle and elegant, there’s a fritillary to fit. Camilla Phelps examines this diverse plant family

- Camilla Phelps

ONE of our most beautiful native species, the common snakeshead fritillary (Fritilliaria Meleagris) produces magical flowers with an ethereal quality. Who would have thought this delicate beauty could be related to the unashamedly flamboyant Fritillaria imperialis from Asia?

Standing tall and proud, with a ‘crown’ of brilliant orange or yellow flowers, F. imperialis is a baroque plant that never fails to impress when it takes centre stage in more formal planting schemes – although it doesn’t smell as good as it looks. It’s one of those strange botanical curiosities that these two very diverse plants are part of the same species.

Snakeshead fritillaries were once very common in England and they are often associated with medieval and Tudor​ gardens. However, the meadow habitat in which they thrive is harder to find these days and, consequently, seeing them in the wild is relatively rare.

Moist soil is a must

For a naturalistic display of fritillaries in your garden, you’d ideally need these slightly damp conditions, with long grass where the bulbs can spread happily. Few of us have access to a meadow, but you can also plant snakeshead fritillaries in semi-shady woodland-type areas – just as long as the soil is moist. They’ll also work in containers, which will give you more opportunity to appreciate those delicate flowers up close.

There are, however, many more types of fritillary that sit somewhere between these two best-known types. They vary in terms of size, looks and the growing conditions that are required, with colours ranging from white through to darkest maroon, plus some in vibrant hot shades.