The chess flower belongs to the lily family. Its natural home is the wet meadows of the rivers, where the plant thrived en masse a hundred years ago. Due to the straightening and draining of these areas, the chess flower, which was voted Flower of the Year in 1993, has become rare and only thrives in a few areas in Germany that are far away from each other.
The sowing can also be left to the checkerboard flowers themselves
flowering and seed formation
The checkerboard flower with its strikingly patterned flowers is one of the most beautiful heralds of spring. Due to the early start, the not very assertive flower can develop freely and bloom and set seeds without competition from other plants. The flowers are pollinated by bees and bumblebees, for whom the nectar of the chess flower is a valuable first food after the winter months.
appearance of the seeds
A three-lobed capsule fruit that contains numerous seeds develops from the flowers. They are blown away by the wind and, if they fall on fertile soil, ensure that the checkered flower spreads over large areas.
A special feature of the seeds, which are excellently adapted to their natural environment, is their ability to swim. In the event of flooding, these are carried along by the water without breaking.
Harvest seeds in your own garden
The seeds can also be used to propagate the chess flower planted in the garden without any problems. Do not cut off the faded flower bells, but let them mature, the plant often even exudes itself and forms dense carpets of flowers over the years. Alternatively, you can cut off the fruit capsules and in this way obtain seeds for propagation yourself.
Targeted offspring
The checkered flower is a cold, light and dark germ. This means that the seeds need a longer cold stimulus to germinate. You can imitate this yourself by storing the harvested seeds, mixed with a little sand, in the refrigerator for four to six weeks. However, do not put the seeds in the freezer. It is much too cold here and the seed would no longer sprout.