Checkerboard flowers stand out due to the almost checkered pattern of their blossoms. We show where the checkerboard flowers feel particularly comfortable and give tips on planting, caring for and propagating.
With the checkerboard flower, also called checkered flower or lapwing egg, you get a unique eye-catcher in your garden. The early bloomer's striking checkered pattern comes in many different shades. Here you can find out where the checkered flower feels most comfortable, how you can plant, care for and propagate it and what varieties there are.
Checkered flower: flowering time, origin and characteristics
The checkered flower (Fritillaria meleagris) belongs to the lily family (Liliaceae). Its flowering period lasts from mid-April to early May, with individual flowers only lasting about five days. The perennial onion plant has small bulbs with a diameter of about two centimeters. In the spring, a shoot grows from this outlasting organ, which develops into a 15 to 30 centimeter high, reddish-brown stalk. Four to six narrow, pointed leaves are alternate. A bell-shaped hanging flower is usually formed per plant. The characteristic purple-white spotted pattern of the petals looks like the pattern on a chessboard or the feathering of a guinea fowl - the species name meleagris means "guinea fowl-spotted".
The natural area of origin of the checkered flower extends from Styria in Austria through Slovenia, Hungary and Croatia to Romania. The chess flower is also at home in Central and Northern Europe. Since their habitat is limited, they are found only rarely and in very specific locations. It feels most comfortable on lean wet meadows in the flood plains of rivers. In Germany, the checkered flower is on the Red List and is one of the specially protected species.
Checkered Flower Varieties
There are different varieties of the checkered flower, which differ in their flower colour. But thattypical checkerboard patterns can be seen in all varieties.
Red Checkered Flowers
- ′Saturnus′: Red-violet flower; clear checkerboard pattern
- ′Mars′: Deep red to violet flower; blue-green leaf
- 'Charon': dark red to deep purple flower; light purple checkerboard pattern
White Chequerboard Flowers
- ′Alba′: white flower; Checkerboard pattern recognizable
- ′Aphrodite′: White flower; checkerboard pattern delicately recognizable; green lines
- ′Pomona′: white with light purple; green lines
Yellow checkered flowers - close relatives of the checkered flower
There are other species of the genus Fritillaria that look very similar to the checkered flower but have a different origin. An example is Fritillaria kurdica with greenish-yellow flowers and checkered markings. The bright yellow flowers with a red checkerboard pattern of Fritillaria collina also bear a close resemblance to Fritillaria meleagris.
Planting checkered flowers: Everything about the location and procedure
In the garden, the checkered flower feels best in moist soil in a sunny to partially shaded spot. If the sufficient supply of water is ensured, it can also be planted in a planter and even kept in the apartment. A low-nutrient, peat-free potting soil such as our Plantura organic seed and herb soil is suitable for this.
The checkered flower bulbs must be planted between August and November at the latest. Place the onions eight to ten centimeters deep. Then cover them with soil and press lightly. Always keep the soil moist.
Tip: To protect the onions from rotting, you can place them on a thin layer of sand, as this will allow the water to drain off better.
Checkerboard flowers are also suitable as indoor plants. However, it should be noted that they must always be kept moist and must not be exposed to strong temperature fluctuations or warm heating air. You should also replace the substrate about every two years.
Care for Chessboard Flower
The checkered flower, recognizable by its natural occurrence in wet areas, needs a lot of water and has to be watered regularly. Otherwise it is very robust and easy to care for. In the springa small amount of fertilizer makes sense to provide the checkered flower with all the important nutrients. Our Plantura organic flower fertilizer, for example, is ideal for this. Alternatively, ready-made compost can be used as fertilizer in the garden. All important information about the different types of compost can be found in our special article on the subject of "compost as fertilizer". After flowering, the checkerboard flower draws nutrients and storage substances from the foliage back into the bulb and withers.
Tip: As with other bulbous plants, you should not cut off the wilting parts of the plant immediately, as the onion obtains valuable nutrients from them and thus creates energy reserves for budding in the following year. Only when the foliage has completely yellowed can you remove the above-ground parts of the plant.
Overwinter checkered flower
Are checkerboard flowers actually perennial? In fact, the checkerboard flower is hardy and perennial. Under the right conditions, it even multiplies itself from year to year. With the right care, the bulbs can collect enough energy for new growth the following year.
The bulbs of the checkerboard flower are hardy and can simply overwinter in the flower bed. Marking with a small wooden stick will help remember the bulb's location and protect it from injury when tending beds or replanting.
Propagate checkerboard flower
Checkerboard flowers can be propagated in two different ways. On the one hand, vegetative propagation via onions is an option. To do this, you dig out the bulbs after the vegetation phase and the complete withering of the plants and then carefully separate the brood bulbs that have formed on the side from the main bulbs. Make sure that the injury caused by sharing is as small as possible. By separating, you can easily get new bulbs of the checkered flower. To prevent the young bulbs from drying out, replant them immediately after division and keep the soil moist.
On the other hand, the checkered flower can be propagated by seeds. However, the seeds of the checkered flower are not easy to persuade to germinate - you will find instructions for this in the following tip. Seed soil such as our Plantura herb and seed soil is suitable as a substrate. Place the seeds one at a time on the substrate and lightly cover them with soil. The substrate must be regularly moistened. You should have a lot of patience when growing checkerboard flowers from seeds, as theDevelopment to the first flowering can take several years.
Tip: How do you germinate checkered flower seeds?
You can harvest the seeds after the seeds have ripened in autumn. Since the checkered flower is a pronounced cold germ, the seeds must be stratified before sowing. This is a treatment that stimulates the seeds to germinate. First store the seeds in a warm place (18 to 20 °C) for about two weeks and then at a temperature between 0 and 5 °C for four to six weeks. Through this process, the seeds are stimulated to germinate and can then be sown directly in seed pots
Toxicity and bee-friendliness of the checkerboard flower
The checkerboard flower is poisonous and should not be eaten under any circumstances. All parts of the plant, but especially the bulb, contain toxic alkaloids such as imperialine.
You may have wondered if the checkerboard flower is bee-friendly. Since the flowering lasts only a short time, it is actually only partially insect-friendly. However, it flowers early, providing food for bees and bumblebees at a time when the overall food supply is still manageable.
Do you not only want to provide food for bees in spring, but also offer many insects a basis for life and nesting opportunities all year round? Then you can create a colorful flower meadow with the insect-friendly seeds from Plantura, in which the checkered flower fits in wonderfully.
If you are interested in other lily plants and would like to find out more about them, you will find all the important information about buying, planting and caring for one of the oldest ornamental plants in our article on lilies.