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Snake's head fritillary

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  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    I grew up near a meadow where  Snakeshead fritillaries grew abundantly ... it was in a small river valley which flooded several times a year, and the grassland was totally unimproved, never having had any fertiliser of chemicals on it.

    IIRC it was cut for hay once a year.   Those are the conditions they need. 

    https://www.suffolkwildlifetrust.org/foxfritillarymeadow

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • cornellycornelly Posts: 970
    Ours grow in a damp area, grass not cut until late July into August, and it is a shaded area, no fertilizers at all.
  • Lizzie27Lizzie27 Posts: 12,494
    I've put mine under the apple tree, in what I grandly call 'the orchard' ( 3 trees!) and leave the grass long. It's not as moist as I would like being on a slope (and last year's heat didn't help) so fingers crossed.
    North East Somerset - Clay soil over limestone
  • DampGardenManDampGardenMan Posts: 1,054
    I just found one in a pot, so I've planted it in a woodland bed to see how it fares.
  • dappledshadedappledshade Posts: 1,017
    I guess it depends where you live.
    Mine emerged from their pots, in north London, very early March and are just starting to fade now.
    Love a fritillary 😊
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    At the Eden project today popping up everywhere very hot and dry. 

    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • madpenguinmadpenguin Posts: 2,543
    edited March 2019
    I have just been checking out my Readers Digest Wildflower Book (1992 edition) and it shows the Fritillary  as a rare flower!
    It is nice to see it being grown now in so many gardens.
    Had always thought it was difficult to grow but mine are now in their second year from being planted bulbs from Morrisons!

    “Every day is ordinary, until it isn't.” - Bernard Cornwell-Death of Kings
  • DampGardenManDampGardenMan Posts: 1,054
    Lyn said:
    At the Eden project today popping up everywhere very hot and dry. 

    Amazing, thought they needed wet meadows!
  • madpenguinmadpenguin Posts: 2,543
    Lyn said:
    At the Eden project today popping up everywhere very hot and dry. 

    Amazing, thought they needed wet meadows!
    I thought that too,the ones in my lawn were baked last year and have still done well!
    “Every day is ordinary, until it isn't.” - Bernard Cornwell-Death of Kings
  • Mine are well above the soil but not in flower as yet,..my neighbour has his in bloom though they are well established,.. while mine were only sown last year plus i mixed some Summer Snowflake 'Leucojum aestivum' with them as they look similar.




    The Summer Snowflake 'Leucojum aestivum',..in bloom last season.

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