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Bulb or tuber · Liliaceae
Crown imperial
Fritillaria imperialis
In other languages: Keizerskroon (Nederlands) · Couronne impériale (Français)
The crown imperial is a stately bulb from western and central Asia, from Turkey and Iran to the foothills of the Himalayas. In April a thick stem about 1 m tall carries a ring of hanging bells in orange, red or yellow, topped by a tuft of green leaves. That striking shape makes it a real eye-catcher in the spring border. It reached Europe in the 16th century and appears in many Flemish and Dutch flower still lifes of the 17th century. The plant, and especially the bulb, has a strong foxy smell that you notice when you get close.
Caution: All parts are poisonous, especially the bulb. Wear gloves when planting and keep the bulbs out of reach of children and pets.
Light
Full sun
warm and bright
Moisture
Dry to normal
no wet feet
Legal basis
Sand, loam or clay
neutral to chalky
Hardiness
Fully hardy
down to -25 °C
Size
1 m
tall, 0.3 m wide
Flowering
April
| Height | 1 m |
|---|---|
| Native to Belgium | No, planted |
| Good for bees, butterflies and birds | Yes, for bees |
| Poisonous to people and pets | Yes, take care with children and pets |
| Flowering | April |
Identify
Crown imperial: how do you recognise it?
- Habit
- Thick, straight stem 80–100 cm tall and about 30 cm wide. After flowering the whole plant dies down in June.
- Leaves
- Glossy, lance-shaped leaves in whorls on the lower part of the stem; at the top a tuft of narrow green leaves.
- Flower
- A ring of large, hanging bells below the leafy tuft, in orange, red or yellow, in April.
- Smell
- Plant and bulb have a strong, musky, foxy smell; the flowers themselves are not pleasantly scented.
- Bulb
- Large, fleshy bulb without a protective tunic, with a hollow on top where last year’s stem was.
Flowering: April · Plants: August–October
In your garden
Why grow it?
- A spectacular eye-catcher: few spring bulbs are as tall and as bright.
- Bees love the large drops of nectar inside the bells.
- Hardy and long-lived in a good, free-draining spot.
- A classic garden plant with centuries of history, lovely in a period or cottage garden.
- Look under the bells: the glistening drops of nectar are a little surprise.
Crown imperial: where does it grow best?
- Full sun; in shade it flowers poorly.
- Fertile, well-drained soil: sand, loam or clay, neutral to chalky.
- Dry to normally moist: in wet soil the big bulb rots.
- Allow 30 cm between bulbs, in groups of three or five towards the back of the border.
- Put late-emerging perennials in front: they hide the dying leaves in June.
- Light
- Sun
- Soil type
- Sand, loam or clay
- Acidity
- Neutral or chalky
- Moisture
- Dry or normal
- Size
- 1 m tall, 0.3 m wide
- Hardiness
- Hardy (to -25 °C)
Goes well with
- Tulips: Late tulips in the same colours fill the space around the tall stems.
- Daffodils: They partly flower at the same time and brighten the front of the border.
- Spurge: Fresh green leaves and lime-yellow flower heads go perfectly with the orange bells.
- Peony: Emerges late and hides the dying leaves of the crown imperial in June.
- Cranesbill: Grows over the empty spot later in the season.
Maintenance
Crown imperial: when and how to plant it?
Plant in August–October.
- Plant from August to October, the earlier the better: the bulb dries out quickly and likes a long time to root.
- Dig a hole about 25 cm deep and mix in compost; in heavy soil, put a layer of coarse sand or grit in the bottom.
- Set the bulb slightly on its side, so no water collects in the hollow on top.
- The top of the bulb should end up about 20 cm below the surface.
- Space bulbs 30 cm apart.
- Firm the soil and mark the spot, so you do not dig into it later.
Care
- Watering
- Only during long dry spells in spring, while it is growing.
- Feeding
- In March, when the shoots appear, compost or bulb fertiliser: it likes rich soil.
- Deadheading
- After flowering, cut off the flowers or seed pods, so the bulb puts no energy into seed.
- Leaves
- Leave the stem and leaves until they are yellow and withered in June.
- Support
- In a windy spot a sturdy stake may be needed.
Tip: Buy and plant the bulbs as early as August, as soon as they are on sale: large bulbs that sit in the shop for a long time dry out and often do not flower in the first year.
Crown imperial: when to prune it?
When: No real pruning is needed. Remove faded flowers in May and cut the stem down in June, once it is completely yellow.
How:
- Cut off the faded flowers or seed pods; the leafy tuft can go too.
- Leave the leafy stem until it turns yellow: this is how the bulb recharges.
- Then cut the withered stem off just above the ground and mark the spot.
Caution: Wear gloves when handling the bulbs or stems: all parts are poisonous.
Propagation
- Offsets
- In summer, once the leaves have died down, remove the small bulbs from the mother bulb and plant them separately in a free-draining spot. They flower after a few years.
- Seed
- Sow fresh seed in summer or autumn in a pot left outdoors. It takes four to six years before you see flowers.
Crown imperial: how does it get through the winter?
Hardy to −25 °C.
- Fully hardy to about −25 °C; no protection needed.
- Wet soil in winter is more dangerous than frost: the big bulb then rots quickly.
- In a pot: choose a large, deep pot with free-draining compost and move it against a wall in hard frost.
Diseases and pests
- Lily beetle: Red beetles and their larvae eat the leaves from April to June. Pick them off by hand, holding your other hand underneath, as they drop.
- No flowers: Only leaves and no flowers: the bulb is too shallow, the soil too poor or the bulb too small. Plant 20 cm deep, feed in spring and give it time.
- Bulb rot: Soft, rotting bulbs in wet soil. Set the bulb on its side on a layer of sand and choose a free-draining spot.
- Slugs: They eat the young shoots in March. Picking them off in the evening helps.
Through the year
- February: The first fat shoots push through.
- March: Give compost or bulb fertiliser. Watch out for slugs.
- April: Flowering. Pick off lily beetles.
- May: Cut off faded flowers and seed pods; leave the leaves.
- June: Cut down yellowed stems and mark the spot.
- July: Rest. Remove offsets if you are moving bulbs.
- August: Plant new bulbs, the earlier the better.
- September: Plant 20 cm deep and slightly on their side.
- October: Plant the last bulbs.
Use
Edible and useful
Not edible. All parts of fritillaries, such as snake’s head fritillary and crown imperial, are poisonous, especially the bulbs: they contain alkaloids that can cause vomiting, stomach ache and diarrhoea, in children as well as in dogs and cats. The bulbs have no protective papery skin: bare and white or yellowish, they can be mistaken for onions or garlic, although the crown imperial bulb has a strong foxy smell. So never store them with the kitchen onions, plant them as soon as you buy them (they dry out quickly), and do not leave loose bulbs lying where dogs or cats could chew them. Wear gloves when planting and when cutting the stems, and wash your hands afterwards. If any is swallowed, call a poison centre (in Belgium 070 245 245) or your doctor at once.
Good for wildlife
- Bees
- Nectar and pollen for honeybees and wild bees.
You and this species
Did you know?
- Look inside a bell: at the base of each petal a large drop of nectar glistens. According to an old legend, they are tears.
- It is often claimed that the foxy smell of the bulb drives away moles and voles, but this has never been convincingly shown.
- It reached European gardens in the 16th century via the Ottoman Empire and soon became a favourite subject for painters of flower still lifes.