Demure and alluring, the dainty nodding heads of the snake's head fritillary (fritillaria meleagris) will add an unusual burst of colour to your garden in early spring. A stunning mix of colours from purple to white, fritillaria meleagris is also known as Snakeshead due to its unusual markings - the dusky blooms of maroon or white are each marked with a checkerboard, almost snakeskin pattern These hardy, easy to grow wildflowers are perfect for shady borders or under trees where their dainty nodding flowers will appear in April and last several weeks. Plant in groups in grass, or under trees, for a gorgeous natural look. Fully deserving its coveted RHS Award of Garden Merit, you can be sure that this is a proven garden performer, guaranteed to be suitable for UK gardeners at every level of experience. You can therefore plant this in the garden with confidence, for stunning displays for many years to come. Very easy to care for and relatively slow growing, so will not take over. Ht 20cm or so. Supplied as a pack of 50 bulbs, size 6/7 ready to plant out in autumn.
These Fritillaria are incredibly unusual plants. Stately and statuesque, between March until May tall flower stems rise from clumps of lance shaped, glossy green leaves. At the top, the downward facing bright orange blooms emerge in a ring around the stem, looking like a crown. These are topped by green, leafy bracts, giving a completely unique appearance. Perfect for an early season display, these exotic looking plants are tough and hardy. They will naturalise slowly and are very easy to grow and the fragrance is said to repel moles mice and other rodents! Supplied as a single bulb, size 20/24, ready to plant in the autumn, growing to a height of 1 m (3 ft) and width of 50 cm (16 in).