[5] The plant is a bulbous perennial[6] native to the flood river plains of Europe where it grows in abundance.

Fritillaria meleagris is native to Europe and western Asia but in many places it is an endangered species that is rarely found in the wild but is commonly grown in gardens.

In the United Kingdom there is some disagreement amongst botanists as to whether F. meleagris is a native species or a long-established garden escapee that has become naturalised over time.

[10] However, the fact that its habitat is usually confined to ancient hay meadows, and it does not easily spread to adjoining land, leads others to the conclusion that it is a native species which became isolated from the European population when Britain was cut off from mainland Europe after the last glacial period.

[11] The plant was once abundant in the UK, particularly in the Thames Valley and parts of Wiltshire, and was collected in vast quantities to be sold as a cut flower in the markets of London, Oxford and Birmingham.

During World War II most of the ancient meadows were ploughed up and turned over to the production of food crops, destroying much of the plant's habitat.