Fritillaria persica Ivory Bells

The Fritillaria persica 'Ivory Bells' is a very beautiful form of the Persian Fritillary, famous for its astonishing almost black flower stalks. This recent variety produces tall flower stalks in early spring, adorned with bell-shaped flowers veiled in silver-tinged ivory green, bright, pleasantly fragrant and very long-lasting. The stems, adorned with beautiful matte grey-green-blue foliage, are very ornamental even outside of the flowering season. Native to the mountains of Persia, this bulbous plant acclimates quite easily in European gardens if care is taken to place it in the sun, in well-drained soil. Majestic and elegant, it deserves a prominent place in rock gardens or raised beds.

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 is a plant from relatively dry montane environments in winter, where it is found growing in dry rockeries but also along paths or fields, between 500 and 1200 m (1640 and 3937ft) in altitude, often on limestone soil. There is a significant variation within this species, which is manifested by the existence of very rare forms, some with greener flowers like 'Ivory Bells'.

'Ivory Bells' develops from a large scaled bulb measuring up to 8 cm (3in) in diameter that fears winter moisture. The buds vigorously emerge from the ground in February-March, then quickly elongate to form tall stems reaching a height of 70 to 80 cm (28 to 32in) at the time of flowering, in April. Each stem is adorned up to a height of 40 cm (16in) with entire and short lanceolate leaves, regularly staggered and spirally arranged. They display a beautiful matte grey-green-blue colour. Each stem ends in a spike over 30 cm (12in) long, bearing 15 to 20 large trailing bell-shaped flowers tightly packed together. Their colour, pistachio green when they open, gradually turns to white-green and then to ivory. 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 at ripeness. The aboveground vegetation of the 'Ivory Bells' Persian Fritillary disappears in summer, and the plant enters a dormant period. During this time of year, the soil should be rather dry.

As spectacular as the Imperial Fritillary, which is much better known, the majestic Persian Fritillary surpasses it in elegance. Give it a good place in a rock garden or in a bed that does not retain water, neither in winter nor in summer. This sumptuous 'Ivory Bells' variety naturally pairs well with the wild form with brown flowers. You can also choose as companions 'Blue Glacier' Spurge, silvery artemisias, garden irises, or shrubby salvias that will somewhat mask its absence in summer and winter. The Persian Fritillary brings verticality to tulip beds, just like Eremurus.

Another advantage is that their bulbs give off an odor that repels rodents, especially moles. They will therefore protect your tulip bulbs from their attacks without bothering you: the odour is imperceptible once the bulb is planted.