A sinister little flower

A couple of years ago we planted a few bulbs of the snake's head fritillary Fritillaria meleagris, a lily which is native to Britain. Much to my amazement they not only survived but now have triple the number that we started with!

The name fritillary comes from the Latin fritillus meaning a dice-box. Back in 1597 J. Gerard wrote in his herbal that "It hath been called Frittillaria, of the table or boord vpon which men plaie at chesse, which square checkers the flower doth very much resemble, some thinking that the chess-board was named Frittillus".

The flower has several other common names including simply snake's head (the original English name), chess-flower, frog-cup, guinea-hen flower, leper lily (because its shape resembles the bell once carried by lepers), Lazarus bell, and checkered lily.

Vita Sackville-West, novelist, poet, exuberant aristocrat and co-creator of the glorious gardens at Sissinghurst Castle in Kent, called it "a sinister little flower, in the mournful colour of decay." I can see what she meant!

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