Collection of purple and white Snake's head fritillaries

The purple and white Snake's head Fritillary Collection is a lovely way to bring spring interest to any area of the garden that remains slightly damp. These bulbous plants bears unusual flowers: large, drooping, checkered bells, purple in the classic form, or pure white in the Alba form. In the wild, the species is sometimes found in moist meadows in spring, or under deciduous trees. This is how the bulbs should be planted, they will naturalise easily, with more and more flowers appearing in spring, over time.

This collection consists of:

x 25 Fritillaria meleagris bulbs: the typical botanical species with multicoloured checkered flowers in shades of purple, burgundy and white

x 10 Fritillaria meleagris 'Alba' bulbs, a rare selection with pure white flowers.

The Snake's head Fritillary is a European endemic plant, found in both Northern Europe (Sweden, Russia, Great Britain) and Western and Central parts of the continent. It is a species of the lily family, now considered rare and therefore protected in its natural habitat. Fritillaria meleagris forms clumps, 20 to 40 cm (8 to 16in) tall. Each bulb produces 3 to 5 green-gray, linear, alternate, lanceolate and narrow leaves. Between March and May, flowering stems appear, bearing flowers that are solitary or grouped in 2 or 3, in the form of drooping, bell-shaped blooms measuring 4 to 5 cm (2in) in diameter.

The bulbs are packed and labelled separately.

The Snake's head Fritillary is an indicator of humid habitats: it requires a moist, occasionally waterlogged, fertile, humus-rich and light soil to flourish. The nature of the soil is very important, if its needs are not met, it will decline rapidly. It can be planted in a border, near a pathway, or not far from the terrace, accompanied by snowdrops and hellebores, to enjoy its sumptuous flowering in spring. It also thrives in a damp rockery or under deciduous trees and shrubs. This plant produces a spectacular effect when planted in a short grass meadow. The bulbs can remain in place, but be careful in woodland and on lawns not to remove the foliage until it is completely yellowed.