Crown Imperial Lily
Fritillaria imperialis
Also called "Stink Lily" and "Old Stinky," because of its foxy odor, Crown Imperial Lily is native to Turkey, producing dramatic bell-shaped blossoms.
Cultivated by the mid 1700s, the Crown Imperial Lily, with its bell-shaped blossoms pendulously crowning the top of a three-foot stem, was much sought after, and Jefferson requested samples of this dramatic lily from Bernard McMahon five times before finally receiving three bulbs in 1812. By 1816, plantings of Crown Imperial Lily at Monticello were strong enough to have shoots forwarded to his retreat home, Poplar Forest. At Monticello, the orange/red-flowered 'Rubra' and yellow-flowered 'Lutea' varieties both appear.
In Bloom at Monticello is made possible by support from The Richard D. and Carolyn W. Jacques Foundation.
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Between April and October, all house tours come with a free guided Garden Tour, or you can explore the grounds on your own with the Bloomberg Connects App
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Heirloom Seeds and Plants from the Monticello collection
Plant history in your gardens with seeds and plants from Monticello and the Thomas Jefferson Center for Historic Plants.
