Fritillaria imperialis Orange Beauty

Fritillaria imperialis 'Orange Beauty' is a beautiful fritillary with brown floral stems, bearing red-orange flowers veined with brown.

The 'Orange Beauty' fritillary is a bulbous perennial with shiny, linear, green leaves. In spring, it produces a floral stem that can bear up to 5 trailing bell-shaped flowers arranged in a crown. The red-orange flowers are veined with purple, and are black-brown at the base. The sculptural brown stem is topped with a plume of dark green and shiny leaves that echo the foliage at the base.

This fritillary likes moist and very well-drained soils, even poor ones. The bulb emits an unpleasant odour that repels moles but not mice. A gravel bed at planting will partially protect against rodents. Growing in a deep, well-drained pot, kept in a cold greenhouse in winter, is more suitable for rare species.

Fritillaria imperialis 'Orange Beauty' is magnificent in a border with tulips like our 'Carnival of Venice' harmony collection.