General Plant Information (Edit)
Plant Habit: Herb/Forb
Life cycle: Perennial
Sun Requirements: Full Sun to Partial Shade
Water Preferences: Mesic
Minimum cold hardiness: Zone 3 -40 °C (-40 °F) to -37.2 °C (-35)
Plant Height: 9 to 12 inches
Plant Spread: 6 to 9 inches; self-seeds readily
Leaves: Spring ephemeral
Flowers: Showy
Flower Time: Late winter or early spring
Spring
Underground structures: Bulb
Uses: Cut Flower
Will Naturalize
Propagation: Seeds: Self fertile
Propagation: Other methods: Offsets
Other: Scale bulblet propagation
Pollinators: Self
Bees
Awards and Recognitions: RHS AGM

Image
Common names
  • Snake's Head Fritillary
  • Checkered Lily
  • Checkered Fritillary
  • Guinea-Hen Flower
  • Toad Lily
  • Snakehead Fritillary
  • Snake Lily
  • Leper Lily

Photo Gallery
Location: KALAMA WA 
Date: 2021-04-09
  • Uploaded by Joy
Location: Oxfordshire, England
Date: 2018-03-16
Location: Willamette Valley Oregon
Date: 2014-03-28
Location: My garden.
Date: 2011-05-20
Location: Riverview, Robson, B.C.
Date: 2008-05-05
  1:05 pm. Known by some as wild Chocolate Lily, it is a real bea
Location: Zone 4b Michigan
Date: 2023-05-01
Early Spring bouquet
Location: Howick Hall garden, Northumberland UK
Date: 2014-04-18
Location: University of Tartu Botanical Gardens, Estonia 
Date: 2023-05-02
Fritillaria meleagris 'Võrumaa'
Location: Helmsley Walled Garden, Yorkshire UK
Date: 2018-04-23
Location: Kalama, wa
Date: 2023-04-21
  • Uploaded by Joy
Location: My Garden
Date: 2012-10-14
Location: My garden.
Date: 2011-05-20
Location: my garden, Gent, Belgium
Date: Apr 9, 2009 12:01 PM
Location: My Garden, Utah
Date: 2016-04-13
Location: Victoria, BC
Date: 2019-04-04
Location: Apple Valley MN
Date: 27 April, 2021
My mini meadow
Location: My North Yorkshire Garden
Date: 2020-04-05

Date: c. 1816
illustration by P. Bessa from 'Herbier Général de l'Amateur', 1
Location: Kalama, Wa.
  • Uploaded by Joy
Location: Apple Valley MN
Date: 2020-04-27
Location: My garden in N E Pa. 
Date: 2009-11-15
Location: Apple Valley MN
Date: 2018-06-04
Location: Pennsylvania
Date: 2020-04-19
Fritillaria meleagris
Location: My Garden, Utah
Date: 2016-04-17
Location: My garden in N E Pa. 
Date: 2017-04-17
Location: My garden
Location: Seattle WA 
Date: 2012-12-02
Spring bloom in Seattle
  • Uploaded by gg5
Location: RHS Harlow Carr, Yorkshire, UK
Date: 2019-04-18
Location: Howick Hall garden, Northumberland UK
Date: 2019-04-18

Date: 10-25-2018
Location: Apple Valley MN
Date: 2018-06-04
Location: Copenhagen, Denmark, EU
Date: 2017-05-06
Location: Copenhagen, Denmark, EU
Date: 2017-05-06
Location: my garden, Gent, Belgium
Date: Apr 15, 2008 11:22 AM

photo credit: H. Zell
Location: Apple Valley MN
Date: 2018-04-26
Location: My garden, North Central Idaho
Date: 5 Oct 2015
Location: My garden
Date: 2022-04-10

Date: 2014-05-12
Location: Seattle WA 
Date: 2012-04-25
A huge clump many years old and very lovely!
  • Uploaded by gg5
Location: My North Yorkshire Garden
Date: 2020-04-10
Location: my garden, Gent, Belgium
Date: Apr 1, 2011 2:22 PM
Location: Chelsea Flower Show.
Date: 2012-07-03
A clump at Chelsea.
Location: Mackinaw, IL
Date: Apr 25, 2011 4:59 PM
Very little foliage, which disappears shortly after blooming.
Photo by pinkiris
Location: My garden, Gent, Belgium
Date: 2014-05-03
Location: Chicago
Date: 2011-05-07
Location: Apple Valley MN
Date: 2018-06-10
Seed pod with mature seeds
Location: My garden in Gent, Belgium
Date: 2010-06-04
Location: RHS Harlow Carr, Yorkshire, UK
Date: 2017-04-23
Location: Mackinaw, IL
Date: Apr 25, 2011 4:59 PM

Photo by Leo Michels
Location: my garden, Gent, Belgium
Date: Apr 10, 2010 10:35 AM
Location: my garden, Gent, Belgium
Date: Mar 24, 2011 2:35 PM
Location: my garden, Gent, Belgium
Date: Apr 10, 2007 11:50 AM

Date: 2018-04-26
Location: garden of botanist Robert R. Kowal in Madison, Wisconsin
Date: June 7, 2009
photo by James Steakley
Location: garden of botanist Robert R. Kowal in Madison, Wisconsin
Date: April 29, 2012
photo by James Steakley
Location: Hortus Camera Lapidea 
Date: 2023-04-25
Location: Hortus Camera Lapidea 
Date: 2023-04-25
Location: My garden in Gent, Belgium
Date: 2012-04-13
Location: my garden, Gent, Belgium
Date: Apr 17, 2008 12:46 PM
Growing happily besides the pond
Location: my garden, Gent, Belgium
Date: Apr 2, 2007 9:54 AM
Location: my garden, Gent, Belgium
Date: Mar 5, 2009 12:15 PM
Location: Mackinaw, IL
Date: Apr 25, 2011 4:59 PM
Earns the name Checkered Lily
Location: In my garden in Kalama, Wa.
Date: 2008-04-06
  • Uploaded by Joy
Location: In my garden in Kalama, Wa.
Date: 2008-04-06
  • Uploaded by Joy
Location: my garden, Gent, Belgium
Date: Apr 7, 2007 2:22 PM

Date: 2010-04-18
Credit Tony Smith

Date: 2014-04-13
Credit Tony Smith

photo by ghislain118
Location: garden of botanist Robert R. Kowal in Madison, Wisconsin
Date: June 21, 2009
photo by James Steakley
This plant is tagged in:
Image Image

Comments:
  • Posted by BookerC1 (Mackinaw, IL - Zone 5a) on Dec 6, 2011 5:13 PM concerning plant:
    I look forward to this shy little flower every spring! It multiplies very slowly, so don't count on it filling in an area very quickly. The foliage is very narrow and barely noticeable, so be careful not to weed them out before they bloom. Very pretty with Sweet William "Sooty" and heuchera "Plum Pudding."
Plant Events from our members
aspenhill On April 6, 2017 Obtained plant
Brent and Becky's Bulbs - qty 30; SYSBB
aspenhill On September 28, 2014 Obtained plant
ADR - qty 100; X-FIB, X-HSG Area 5, X-SSG
Yorkshirelass On June 3, 2017 Seeds sown
Gathered ripe seed scattered (gorilla gardening in local area)
mscuser73 On September 16, 2017 Obtained plant
OBI Budaörs, 10 db hagyma
MrsBinWY On July 17, 2021 Transplanted
On 7-17-2021, put all the dormant bulbs in the back rain garden to east of Hellebores. There were far more bulbs than I expected there would be. Some were as large as small marbles.
MrsBinWY On April 25, 2020 Seeds germinated
6, as of 5-16-20, there are dozens of seedlings. The container has been sitting on the kitchen table where it gets sun from a north window. They lived in a south-facing window all summer and gradually senesced. Put the container in the fridge 11-8-20. Plan to bring it back to room temperature in early January. Took out of fridge on 1-11-21 and set in south window with awning by sewing table. New growth emerging from the tiny bulbs on 1-19-21.
MrsBinWY On January 3, 2020 Seeds sown
lots of seeds from Joyce's 2019G in milk jug. Give them a couple weeks of warm, then put them outside. Put container in the fridge 1-25-20.
MrsBinWY On October 23, 2018 Seeds germinated
~15 up. These grew until January 2019 or so, never sent up any true leaves but formed 1/8-1/4" bulbs, then gradually senesced. Left them dry, cool and dormant in the cold sun room. Watered the container 3-22-19. Couldn't figure out how to bring them back out of dormancy.
MrsBinWY On June 19, 2018 Seeds sown
Per https://www.pacificbulbsociety... sowing these in the fridge now so the embryos can complete their development. One pod ripened. ~25 seeds look viable.
KelliW On February 10, 2019 Seeds sown
#37, winter sown seeds from Joolie
LyraLu On November 6, 2021 Miscellaneous Event
Planted 15
Australis On March 15, 2024 Transplanted
Planted in the front garden.
Australis On March 14, 2024 Obtained plant
Purchased 3 bulbs from Hancock's Daffodils.
Australis On February 26, 2023 Potted up
Australis On February 25, 2023 Obtained plant
Purchased baby bulbs at the AGS Vic Buy/Swap/Sell.
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