Fritillaria imperialis, on its common name Crown Imperial or Kaiser's Crown is one of the earliest plants to be cultivated for its red, yellow or orange-red flowers that appear in mid to late spring and last for 2-3 weeks. Plant them in clumps for maximum effect, in beds or woodland gardens. It grows to about 1 m in height, and bears lance shaped, glossy leaves, at intervals along the stem. It bears a prominent whorl of downward facing flowers at the top of the stem, topped by a 'crown' of small leaves. The pendulous flowers make a bold statement in the late spring garden.
Plant the bulbs in fall on their side, with sharp sand beneath them to ensure that they do not rot, at 20-30 cm apart and 10-20 cm, deep depending on the size of the bulbs, in a place with full sun and with sandy, moderately fertile, moist but well-drained soil, for best growing conditions. The dormant bulbs are very hardy and will withstand soil temperatures down to at least -10 Celsius degrees (14 F) but winter mulch is suggested to protect them from hard frosts. Once established, they should not be disturbed.
Water rarely, about once every 1-2 weeks, keeping the soil dry for a few days before watering again. These plants don't need too much water because if they are staying in a soil which is too damp, this can easily cause the rot of bulbs.
The pendant, bell-shaped flowers of Crown Imperial are borne in a circle on top of a tall stem. The tuft of leaves protruding above the flowers provides the illusion of a crown. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by bees. Remove faded flowers to prevent seed formation or if you want to collect the seeds, allow pods to dry on plant, break open and collect seeds. After flowering and complete drying of the leaves, the stems should be cut off just above the ground level.
Propagate Fritillaria by sowing seeds as soon as ripe, in a cold frame, protecting them from frost. Sow the seeds quite thinly to avoid the need to prick out the seedlings. They will germinate in the spring. Once they have germinated, give them an occasional liquid feed to ensure that they do not suffer mineral deficiency. After they die down, at the end of their second growing season, divide up the small bulbs and plant 2 or 3 of them in an 8 cm deep pot. Grow them on for at least another year in light shade in the greenhouse before planting them out while dormant.
Another way of propagation is by division of offsets done in late summer. The larger bulbs can be planted out direct into their permanent positions, but it is best to pot up the smaller bulbs and grow them on in a cold frame for a year before planting them out in the autumn. You can also try to divide dormant bulbs in autumn but replant them immediately.
