Chessboard flower: planting, care and propagation

Chessboard 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 checkered 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 multiply it and what varieties there are.

Checkerboard flower: flowering period, origin and properties

The checkerboard 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 appears on closer inspection like the pattern on a chessboard or the feathering of a guinea fowl - the species name meleagris means after all "guinea fowl spotted".

The natural area of ​​origin of the checkered flower ranges from Styria in Austria to 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 checkerboard flower, which differ in their flower color. But the typical checkerboard pattern can be seen in all varieties.

Red checkerboard flowers

• ′Saturn′: red-violet flower; clear checkerboard pattern
• 'Mars': Deep red to violet flower; blue-green leaf
• 'charon': Dark red to deep violet flower; light purple checkerboard pattern

White checkerboard flowers

• 'Alba': white bloom; Checkerboard pattern recognizable
• 'Aphrodite': White bloom; checkerboard pattern delicately recognizable; green lines
• ′pomona′: white with light violet; green lines

Yellow checkered flower - close relatives of the checkered flower 

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

Plant checkered flowers: Everything about the location and procedure

In the garden, the checkered flower feels most comfortable in moist soil in a sunny to partially shaded location. 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 ours is suitable for this Plantura organic seed and herb soil.

Checkerboard 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 better.

Chessboard 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.

Maintain checkerboard flower

The checkerboard flower, recognizable by its natural occurrence in wet areas, has a high water requirement and must be watered regularly. Otherwise it is very robust and easy to care for. In the spring, a small amount of fertilizer makes sense to provide the checkered flower with all the important nutrients. For example, our is suitable for this Plantura organic flower fertilizer optimal. Alternatively, you can also do this in the garden Finished compost as fertilizer insert. All the important information about the different types of compost can be found in our special article on the topic "compost as fertilizer“. After flowering, the checkered 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 the onion obtains valuable nutrients from it and thus energy reserves for the budding in the following year creates. Only when the foliage has completely yellowed can you remove the above-ground parts of the plant.

Overwinter checkered flower

Are checkered flowers actually perennial? In fact, the checkerboard flower is hardy and perennial. In the right conditions, it even multiplies 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 checkered 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 during bed maintenance or replanting.

Propagating checkered 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, you should 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 - instructions for this can be found in the following tip. Seed soil like ours is suitable as a substrate Plantura herbal & seed soil. 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 it can take a few years to develop before the first flowers.

Tip: How do you germinate checkered flower seeds?
After the seeds have ripened in autumn, you can harvest the seeds. Since the checkered flower is a pronounced cold germinator is, 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 into seed trays

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. Nevertheless, it flowers early and thus offers bees and bumblebees food at a time when the overall food supply is still manageable.

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

If you are interested in other lily plants and want to learn more about them, see our article about lilies all important information about buying, planting and caring for one of the oldest ornamental plants.