Fritillaria imperialis Sunset

Fritillaria imperialis 'Sunset' is a remarkably colourful variety of crown imperial. Its intensely orange flowers, arranged in a crown, are topped with bronze to burgundy leaves. The whole is carried at the end of a floral stem also coloured dark burgundy. This imposing bulb puts on a show in sunny flower beds in spring. With a strong personality, it fits well in a contemporary or exotic-inspired setting.

Fritillaria imperialis 'Sunset', sometimes marketed under the name Fritillaria Іnodora 'Sunset', is a Dutch horticultural selection dating back to 2016. The imperial fritillary belongs to the lily family. This botanical species is native to eastern Turkey, northern Iraq, Iran, and spread to Afghanistan and Pakistan. It is a perennial herbaceous plant with a large scaly bulb, whose vegetation emerges from the ground in late winter and disappears after flowering. It is very cold-resistant in well-drained soil.

The 'Sunset' fritillary reaches about 90 cm in height when in bloom. The floral stem, tinted dark reddish-brown, bears leaves only in its lower half. They are narrow and pointed, ranging in colour from bronze green to brownish, measuring about 10 cm long, and arranged in whorls. They somewhat resemble lily leaves. The plant emits an odour that may be unpleasant. Flowering usually takes place in April-May, at the top of the stem in the form of a crown composed of 6 to 20 pendulous bell-shaped flowers, measuring about 6 cm long. In 'Sunset', the flowers are a very bright orange, finely streaked with red. They are topped by a cluster of small, bronze to burgundy leaves.

Fritillaries are unusual, imposing bulbs. Whether you like them or not, they are eye-catching. Use them to add height to your flower beds or to enrich an exotic-inspired scene. You can grow them in large pots to admire them on your terrace. The toxic bulb emits an unpleasant odour that repels rodents, but this odour is not perceptible once the bulb is buried. Imperial crowns are often planted among tulips, daffodils, or grape hyacinths, from which their tall floral stems proudly emerge. They can also be paired with plants with decorative foliage such as lady's mantle or bronze fennel, for example. The fritillary holds a special place in flora compositions immortalised by Flemish masters such as Jan Brueghel the Elder.

Formerly, the crown imperial was called "tears of Mary." Its Persian name means "the flower that weeps" because the fritillary has large nectaries in the centre of its petals that produce big drops of nectar.