Fritillaria imperialis
Crown imperial
Common names: Imperial fritillary
At a glance
- Light
- Full sun
- Pot size
- from 10 l
- Lifespan
- Perennial
- Hardiness
- Hardy down to −20 °C
- Water need
- Medium
Photo: UpstateNYer · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source
Description
The crown imperial is the most imposing spring bulb in the garden. It produces a crown of orange‑red or yellow bell‑shaped flowers on stems up to one meter tall in April, surrounded by a green rosette of leaves. Its strong natural scent is believed to deter mole rats, so it is often planted as a protective plant.
Care instructions
Plant the large, delicate bulbs in September or October, about 20 cm deep and slightly angled, in well‑draining, humus‑rich soil to prevent water from pooling around the bulb neck. Choose a sunny, sheltered spot and avoid disturbing the plant thereafter, its most abundant flowering occurs when it remains in the same location for several years.
The care notes were machine-translated from German.
Garden year
PlantingSep–Oct
Soil & site
Soil pH
Soil type
loamy, humus-rich, well-drained, nutrient-rich, lime-loving
Plant the crown imperial in deeply loosened, humus-rich and above all well-drained loamy soil. Waterlogging makes the bulb rot quickly. It likes neutral to slightly chalky soils (about pH 6 to 7.5) and avoids strongly acidic sites below pH 6. A position in full sun to partial sun is ideal; bright partial shade is tolerated, but it flowers most reliably in full sun.
Feeding
Heavy feeder
Months
Mar, Apr, Jun
Fertilise organically twice a year: in early spring (end of March to early April), as soon as the shoots emerge, spread ripe compost shallowly around the plant and work it in lightly; you can rake horn shavings in on the surface. A second application of ripe compost after flowering (May/June) strengthens the bulb for the following year. Do not apply fresh fertiliser directly to the bulb, as it encourages rot.
Overwintering
The crown imperial is hardy and stays in the ground as a bulb. The greatest danger is not frost but waterlogging, because the hollow bulb otherwise rots. Plant the bulb on its side, ensure good drainage on heavy soils, and leave it undisturbed for many years on well-drained sites so that it flowers more richly.
Propagation
Methods
- Offsets
- From seed
The simplest and most reliable method is propagation by daughter bulbs. Dig up the bulbs in late summer, once the foliage has died back completely, so roughly July to September. Gently separate the small daughter bulbs from the mother bulb and replant both straight away, about 20 to 30 cm deep. Set the bulbs slightly on their side, because they have a dip at the top. This lets water run off rather than collect in the hollow, which prevents rot. A thin layer of sand or fine gravel under the bulb improves drainage further. The thin-skinned bulbs dry out quickly, so between digging up and replanting do not leave them exposed, but keep them moist (e.g. in peat). Daughter bulbs usually take 2 to 3 years to first flower, and strong offsets even 1 to 2 years. Not every variety produces daughter bulbs freely: older varieties do so more reliably than newer cultivars with especially large bulbs.
Sowing is possible, but takes a great deal of patience: harvest the seed fresh in summer and sow it in the same late summer, because its viability drops quickly. Crown imperials are cold-stratification seeds: the seed has to go through a winter of cold before it germinates in spring; so it is best sown directly outdoors, or put the seed tray outside in a cool, sheltered spot. Keep the substrate evenly, lightly moist until germination. It then takes about 5 to 6 years to first flower. This method is better suited to obtaining new forms than to quickly increasing your stock, because cultivated forms and hybrids do not come true from seed.
Companion planting
Good neighbors
Companion planting is partly traditional gardening lore. Where the reason is known, it is given.
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