Finally, Fritillaries!

 How can I tell when I've run out of invisible ink? - Steven Wright

Over a month ago (23rd March 2026) we visited Lugg Meadow on our way back home from daffodil site-seeing. Mary was thinking it might be the start of the Snakeshead fritillary season for which the Lugg Meadow is well-known. This floodplain meadow of the River Lugg (the clue's in the name!) seems to be under constant threat from road and house building developments. When we visited in late March, the blackthorn was in full flower and bird song ...

Photo 1: Blackthorn Hedge, Lugg Meadow (23rd March 2026)

But, of fritillaries, there was no sign.

We returned a month later (26th April 2026) thinking we might have missed the flowering peak. Certainly, some of the fritillary blooms were past their best ...

Photo 2: Snakeshead Fritillary (Lugg Meadow, 26th April 2026)

... and they were certainly less abundant than in previous years. It was, however, possible to find areas where the blooms, especially the white variety, were visible from a distance ...

Photo 3: White Snakeshead Fritillaries in Foreground and Background (Lugg Meadow, 26/4/26)

The white version of Snakeshead Fritillary is dominant on the Lugg Meadow ...

Photo 4: White Snakeshead Fritillary (Lugg Meadow, 26/4/26)

... perhaps by a factor of 100:1 over the more familiar 'purple' variety ...

Photo 5: Purple Snakeshead Fritillary (Lugg Meadow, 26/4/26)

Some hybrids of the white & purple were also in evidence ...

Photo 6: Hybrid White/Purple Snakeshead Fritillary (Lugg Meadow, 26/4/26)

These delicate bell-shaped flowers are a delight to see, nodding their heads in the gentle Spring breeze. It was disappointing to see so few blooms but hopefully this was just a bad year.