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Checkered Lily

About Checkered Lily

Checkered Lily is a relatively rare houseplant 🌿 that is easy to grow and needs regular watering to thrive. They do best in long-lasting, direct light ☀️ and should be less than 1 foot from a window.

Checkered Lily likes soil that is well draining. Your plant shouldn't need added fertilizers if you repot each time it doubles in size.

Checkered Lily belongs to the Fritillaria genus, and is native to Eastern Europe and East Russia.

⚠️ Checkered Lily is extremely dangerous if consumed. If you, a family member, or a pet has ingested any amount of plant material contact Poison Control, US (800) 222-1222, or your veterinarian immediately. These plants are not recommended for homes with children, cats, or dogs.

Taxonomy

Scientific name

Fritillaria meleagris

Genus

Fritillaria

Family

Liliaceae

Order

Liliales

Also known as

Snake's head fritillary, Snake's head, Chess flower, Frog-cup, Guinea-hen flower, Guinea flower, Leper lily, Lazarus bell, Chequered lily, Chequered daffodil, Drooping tulip and Fritillary

How to care for Checkered Lily

💦 Water

How often to water your Checkered Lily

Checkered Lily needs 0.5 cups of water every 9 when it doesn’t get direct sunlight and is potted in a 5" pot.

Use our water calculator to personalize watering recommendations to your environment or download Greg for more advanced recommendations for all of your plants.

Water 0.5 cups every
9

Does your plant get direct sunlight?

No Yes

Select the pot size

☀️ Light

Finding light for Checkered Lily in your home

Checkered Lily love being close to bright, sunny windows 😎.

Place it less than 1ft from a south-facing window to maximize the potential for growth.

Checkered Lily does not tolerate low-light 🚫.

Select your region to see how the current weather in your area affects the placement of Checkered Lily in your home 🏡.

🪴 Nutrients

How to fertilize Checkered Lily

Nutrient, fertilizer, and repotting needs for Checkered Lily: repot after 2X growth

Most potting soils come with ample nutrients which plants use to produce new growth.

By the time your plant has depleted the nutrients in its soil it’s likely grown enough to need a larger pot anyway.

To replenish this plant's nutrients, repot your Checkered Lily after it doubles in size or once a year—whichever comes first.

💡 FAQs

⭐ Difficulty Level

Checkered Lily is generally considered an easy-to-care-for plant and makes a great choice for beginners!

How to Grow Checkered Lily →

Benefits of Growing Checkered Lily →

Common Checkered Lily Problems →

Outdoor Care Guide for Checkered Lily →

💦 Water Needs

Checkered Lily prefers for the soil to dry out between waterings and should be watered regularly. Use our water calculator to personalize watering recommendations to your environment or download Greg for more advanced recommendations for all of your plants.

Checkered Lily Water Frequency →

Checkered Lily Root Rot →

☀️ Sunlight Needs

Checkered Lily requires abundant, bright and direct light. Place it less than one foot from a window to ensure it receives enough light to survive 💪. Select your region to see how the current weather in your area affects the placement in your home 🏡.

Checkered Lily Light Requirements →

Checkered Lily Direct Sunlight Needs & Tolerance →

🐶 🐈 👶 Toxicity

Checkered Lily is extremely dangerous if consumed. If you, a family member, or a pet has ingested any amount of plant material contact Poison Control, US (800) 222-1222, or your veterinarian immediately. Checkered Lily is not recommended for homes with children, cats, or dogs.

🪴 Soil

Checkered Lily does best in well-draining soil. A good soil will contain lots of organic matter such as coco coir as well as perlite or vermiculite to help with drainage. Adding a handful of perlite to regular store-bought potting soil should do the trick!

Best Soil Mix for Checkered Lily →

Best Pots for Checkered Lily →

When and How to Successfully Repot Checkered Lily →

What Are Healthy Checkered Lily Roots →

💩 Fertilizer

Checkered Lily should be repotted after it doubles in size or once a year, whichever comes first. Fresh potting soil has all the nutrients your plant needs, so as long as it’s refreshed yearly, you shouldn’t need to use fertilizer. Remember, plants get their energy from sunlight, not fertilizer!

How Much and When to Fertilize Checkered Lily →

⬆️ ⬇️ Growth Pattern

Checkered Lily grows vertically and new growth will emerge from the top of the plant.

Checkered Lily Lifecycle →

Checkered Lily Size Guide →

How and When to Prune Checkered Lily →

🌦️ Growing Outdoors

USDA Hardiness Zone
Checkered Lily can be grown outdoors in USDA Hardiness Zones 3a-8b. Find your local hardiness zone here.

Checkered Lily Temperature Tolerance →

Checkered Lily Hardiness Zones →

Landscaping Ideas with Checkered Lily →

When to Plant Checkered Lily →

How to Plant Checkered Lily →

Where to Plant Checkered Lily →

Winter Care for Checkered Lily →

Best Companion Plants for Checkered Lily →

Is Checkered Lily a Weed? →

🌱 Propagation

Checkered Lily can be propagated by division into new individual plants.

Check to see if there is more than one plant. In some cases they may still be beneath the soil surface. If you feel confident, you may remove the soil to check for baby plantlets below!
If there are multiple plants growing, unpot the plant and gently tug the plants apart, being careful not to disturb too many of the roots. They may be connected by large root segments which you may need to break to free the plantlet.
Pot up the new plant in well-draining soil
Repot the parent plant back into its original pot

How to Propagate Checkered Lily →

🍂 Yellow Leaves

Yellow leaves aren’t always a reason to panic, and can be a normal part of a plant’s life cycle. Unless brand new leaves are turning yellow or all the leaves change color at once, it’s likely just your plant shedding old leaves.

Overwatering and root rot are the most likely cause of problems in Checkered Lily, since they are sensitive to wet soil. The leaves may also appear to be curling or drooping. Less often, yellow leaves are caused by underwatering, nutrient deficiencies, or pests.

Replace soggy soil with fresh, dry soil and download Greg to make sure your plant never gets overwatered again!

🧐 Troubleshooting

When troubleshooting a sad-looking houseplant, start by checking for signs of distress in its leaves, such as yellowing, browning, or drooping, which can indicate overwatering or nutrient deficiencies.

Inspect the soil moisture; too dry or too wet soil can cause problems.

Ensure the plant is getting the right amount of light, as too much or too little can stress it.

Finally, consider environmental factors like temperature and humidity, and adjust care routines accordingly to revive your plant.