Checkerboard flower: plant, care & propagate

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 about planting, caring for and propagating.

With the checkerboard flower, also called chess flower or lapwing egg, you get a unique eye-catcher in your garden. The eye-catching plaid pattern of the early bloomer comes in many different shades. Here you can find out where the checkerboard flower feels most comfortable, how you can plant, care for and propagate it and which varieties are available.

Checkerboard flower: flowering time, origin and characteristics

The checkerboard flower (Fritillaria meleagris) belongs to the lily family (Liliaceae). They bloom from mid-April to early May, with the individual flowers only lasting about five days. The perennial onion plant has small bulbs with a diameter of about two centimeters. A shoot grows from this perennial organ in spring, which develops into a 15 to 30 centimeter high, reddish-brown stem. There are four to six narrow, pointed leaves alternating. A bell-shaped hanging flower is usually formed per plant. On closer inspection, the characteristic purple and white spotted drawing of the petals appears like the pattern of a chessboard or the fletching of a guinea fowl - the species name meleagris means after all "guinea fowl spotted".

The natural area of ​​origin of the checkerboard flower extends from Styria in Austria via Slovenia, Hungary and Croatia to Romania. The chess flower is also at home in Central and Northern Europe today. Since their habitat is limited, they can only be found rarely and in very specific locations. She feels most comfortable on poor wet meadows in the floodplain of rivers. In Germany, the checkerboard flower is on the red list and is one of the particularly protected species.

Checkerboard varieties

There are different varieties of the checkerboard flower, which differ in their flower color. But the typical checkerboard pattern can be seen in all varieties.

Red checkerboard flowers

• ′ Saturnus′: Red-purple flower; clear checkerboard pattern
• 'Mars': Deep red to purple flowers; blue-green leaf
• 'Charon': Dark red to deep purple flowers; light purple checkerboard pattern

White checkerboard flowers

• ′ Alba ′: white flower; Checkerboard pattern recognizable
• 'Aphrodite': White flower; Checkerboard pattern delicately recognizable; green lines
• ′ Pomona ′: White with light purple; green lines

Yellow chess flowers - close relatives of the chessboard flower 

There are other species in the genus Fritillariawhich look very similar to the checkerboard flower, but have a different origin. An example is Fritillaria kurdica with greenish-yellow flowers and checkered drawing. Also the bright yellow flowers with a red checkerboard pattern from Fritillaria collina bear a great resemblance to Fritillaria meleagris on.

Planting checkerboard flowers: everything about the location and procedure

In the garden, the checkerboard flower feels most comfortable in moist soil in a sunny to partially shaded location. If there is an adequate supply of water, it can also be planted in a planter and even kept indoors. A low-nutrient, peat-free potting soil such as ours is suitable for this Plantura organic seed and herb soil.

The bulbs of the checkerboard flower must be planted between August and November at the latest. Place the onions at a depth of eight to ten centimeters. Then cover it with soil and press down gently. Always keep the soil moist.

Tip: To protect the onions from rot, you can put them on a thin layer of sand, as this allows 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 not be exposed to strong temperature fluctuations or warm heating air. You should also replace the substrate about every two years.

Maintaining the checkerboard flower

The checkerboard flower, recognizable by its natural occurrence in wetlands, has a high water requirement and has to be watered regularly. Otherwise it is very robust and easy to care for. In spring, a small amount of fertilizer makes sense to provide the checkerboard flower with all the important nutrients. For example, ours is suitable for this Plantura organic flower fertilizer optimal. Alternatively, you can do it in the garden Ready-made compost as fertilizer insert. All important information about the different types of compost can be found in our special article on the subject of "Compost as a fertilizer“. After flowering, the checkerboard flower draws nutrients and storage substances from the foliage back into the bulb and wilts.

Tip: As with other bulbous plants, you shouldn't cut off the wilting parts of the plant immediately, because The onion gains valuable nutrients from it and thus reserves energy for the budding in the following year applies. Only when the foliage has completely yellowed can you remove the above-ground parts of the plant.

Hibernate checkerboard flower

Are checkerboard flowers actually perennial? In fact, the checkerboard flower is hardy and perennial. Under the right conditions, it can even multiply itself from year to year. With the right care, the bulbs can collect enough energy for new growth in the following year.

The bulbs of the checkerboard flower are hardy and can simply overwinter in the flowerbed. Marking with a small wooden stick helps not to forget the place of the onion and protects it from injuries during bed care or replanting.

Propagate the checkerboard flower

Checkerboard flowers can be propagated in two different ways. On the one hand, there is a vegetative propagation via brood onions. To do this, dig up the bulbs after the vegetation phase and the complete wilting of the plants and then carefully separate the laterally formed bulbs from the main onions. Make sure that the injury caused by sharing is as small as possible. By singling them out, you can easily get new bulbs of the checkerboard flower. To prevent the young bulbs from drying out, you should plant them again immediately after dividing and keep the soil moist.

On the other hand, the checkerboard flower can be propagated by seeds. The seeds of the checkerboard flower are not easy to persuade to germinate - you can find instructions for this in the tip below. A seed soil like ours is suitable as a substrate Plantura herb & seed compost. Place the seeds one by one on the substrate and lightly cover them with soil. The substrate must be moistened regularly. Growing checkerboard flowers from seeds requires a lot of patience, as it can take a few years to develop before the first bloom.

Tip: How do you germinate checkerboard flower seeds?
After the seeds ripen in autumn, you can harvest the seeds. Since the checkerboard flower is an outspoken Cold germ the seeds must be stratified before sowing. This is a treatment that stimulates the seeds to germinate. First store the seeds for about two weeks in a warm place (18 to 20 ° C) and then for four to six weeks at a temperature between 0 and 5 ° C. Through this process, the seeds are stimulated to germinate and can then be sown directly in cultivation containers

Toxicity and bee-friendliness of the checkerboard flower

The checkerboard flower is poisonous and should not be consumed under any circumstances. All parts of the plant, especially the bulb, contain poisonous alkaloids such as imperialine.

Perhaps you have already wondered whether the checkerboard flower is bee-friendly. Since the flowering lasts only a short time, it is actually only partially insect-friendly. Nevertheless, it blooms early and provides bees and bumblebees with food at a time when the food supply is still manageable overall.

Do you not only want to provide food for bees in spring, but also a livelihood and nesting opportunities for many insects all year round? Then you can use the insect-friendly seeds from Plantura create a colorful flower meadow, in which the checkerboard flower fits wonderfully.

If you are interested in other lily plants and would like to find out more about them, please see our article about Lilies all important information about buying, planting and caring for one of the oldest ornamental plants.