Hardy, spring-flowering bulb
Description: Showy, bell-shaped, dusky purple flowers in early spring
Habit: Flower spikes up to three feet; glossy, blue-green foliage
Culture: Plant in a sunny, well-drained site, covering with 6 inches of soil; best if lifted after foliage dies back and kept warm and dry; replant in autumn
Hardiness: USDA Zones 4 through 8.
Origin: Western Asia
Attributes: Deer resistant
1 bulb per bag.
The Persian Fritillary was introduced into English gardens in the late sixteenth century, but at the time did not capture the same attention as its cousin, the Crown Imperial Lily. This Fritillary's unusual, deep violet blue flowers are perhaps more appealing to modern tastes. Bernard McMahon, Thomas Jefferson's gardening mentor, listed the Fritillaria persica on his 1810 broadsheet.