Also known as Crown Imperials or Kaiser's
Crown - Fritillaria Imperialis is a member of the Lily
family.
One of the earliest plants to be cultivated it is a native of Asia - found
in Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan and the foothills of the Himalayas.
Crown Imperials or Fritillaria Imperialis are grown from hardy bulbs which bear tall imposing flowers on stems 3 to 4 feet high.
Although the wild form that is found is normally an orange red, the flowers of cultivated varieties range in colours from scarlet red through oranges to yellow.
Fritillaria Imperialis should be cultivated in deep, rich well drained soil.
Fritillaria Imperialis grow admirably well in shady places or in narrow borders alongside the house walls.
The bulb should be planted very deep - at a depth of least 10 inches.
It is best to plant the Crown Imperial bulb on its side - this prevents water collecting at the top of the bulb and causing it to rot .
An inch of sand in the bottom of each planting hole will also lessen the chance of the bulb rotting.
Once the plants start to grow keep a lookout for lily beetles
After they have flowered and the leaves have dried out , the stems of Fritillaria Imperialis should be trimmed off just above the ground.
Fritillaria Imperialis or Crown Imperials also make useful pot flowers in the greenhouse if one bulb is potted in a 6 to 8 inch pot
For growing in pots the compost should be a mixture of equal parts loam, peat, leaf-mould, decayed manure and sand.
Crown imperials can be grown from seed, although the seedlings do not flower for some years.
Varieties cultivated are the Fritillaria Imperialis, and its varieties,
latifolia and pallidiflora.
Expert advice on growing Fritillaria Imperialis, also known as Crown Imperials from bulbs. Growing Crown Imperial in pots. How to avoid bulbs rotting, planting and aftercare.