Snake's head fritillary (Fritillaria meleagris)
My 1963 Readers Digest Complete Library of the Garden Volume 2 says:
Fritilliaria meleagris, curious, hanging flowers patterned in purple and white squares like a chess board. Plain white and reddish-purple forms frequently appear in naturalized colonies
- They flower in April and May so can be found on my birthday
- They are a native wildflower and make me proud to be British
- There is some scepticism on their native-ness due to there being a century between records of them being in gardens and in the wild - a plant with a dramatic back story!
- They like being in the light shade of a woodland, which I would also always choose over direct sunlight
- They're also known as the guinea-hen flower, which is an adorable name
- I like playing chess
Sadly they can't be found in florists and so I'll never be truly satisfied when presented with a bunch of flowers...
