Fritillaria persica

Fritillaria persica, or Persian lily, is a botanical species that always makes a big impression. This bulbous plant is distinguished by its spectacular flowering stems adorned with bell-shaped flowers that are very dark. The entire plant is covered with a kind of bloom, giving the foliage a soft green-grey-blue colour. The flowers have amazing reflections. Originating from the mountains of Persia, this bulbous plant acclimatises quite easily in our gardens if it is placed in the sun, in well-drained soil. In spring, it's all you see in the rockery or in a raised bed!

Fritillaria persica belongs to the Liliaceae family. It is native to an area ranging from Jordan to Iran, and is widely found in Western Asia. It comes from areas with relatively dry mountain environments in winter, where it can be found growing in dry rockeries, along paths or fields, between 500 and 1200m (1640 and 3937ft) of altitude. This fritillary often grows in limestone soils. There is a significant variation within the species, which is manifested by the existence of very rare forms with different flowers.

The Persian fritillary develops from a large scale bulb measuring up to 8cm (3in) in diameter, which is sensitive to winter moisture. The vigorous buds emerge from the ground in February-March, then quickly elongate to form tall stems reaching a height of 80cm (32in) to 1m (3ft) at the time of flowering, in April. Each stem is adorned with entire and shortly lanceolate leaves, regularly spaced and spirally arranged up to a height of 50cm (20in). They have a beautiful matte grey-green-blue colour, as if powdered. Each stem ends in a spike over 30cm (12in) long, bearing 15 to 20 trailing flowers tightly packed together. Their colour is intermediate between plum, brown, and violet when they open, turning to purple when fully open. The petals, like the leaves, appear covered with a light silvery bloom. Their pleasant fragrance attracts pollinating insects. After pollination, a cylindrical and erect fruit forms, which will release numerous flat seeds when ripe. The above-ground vegetation disappears in summer, and the plant enters a period of rest. The soil should be rather dry during this dormant stage.

As spectacular as the Imperial Fritillary, which is much more well-known, the majestic Persian fritillary surpasses it in elegance. Give it a good place in a rockery or in a bed that does not retain too much water, neither in winter nor in summer. There are different varieties of Persian fritillaries ('Adiyaman', 'Bicolor Magic Bells') that blend perfectly together. You can also choose Euphorbia 'Glacier Blue', shrubby artemisias, or pink perennial salvias as companions, which will somewhat mask its absence in summer and winter. The Persian fritillary brings verticality to tulip and narcissus beds, just like eremurus that appreciate the same environments.

Another advantage is that their bulbs emit a scent that repels rodents, especially moles. They can therefore be used to protect tulip bulbs from their attacks.