Snakeshead Fritillary

Fritillaria meleagris is a bulbous perennial species that typically grows to around 30cm tall, it produces lance-shaped, green-grey leaves and delicate nodding flowers. The flowers are produced early in spring, they have attractive checkered patterning, typically coloured white and purple. The plant's name 'fritillaria' comes from the Latin 'fritillus', meaning dice-box. This presumably refers to the unmistakable chequered/dotted pattern of the flower. This plant was often harvested from meadows in the United Kingdom to be sold for decoration at 16th & 17th Century markets. It is widely naturalised across the UK, however, it is not thought to be a true native species. It is the official flower of the Uppland region of Sweden, where it grows in large quantities every spring.