Crown imperial

Fritillaria imperialis

A bulb. A short stem (the basal plate) wrapped in fleshy scales that hold the food store, with the next flower folded inside.

Whole

Cut open

Store	Bulb. Cut it in half: you see layers like an onion.
Depth	15-20 cm to the base of the bulb
Spacing	30 cm apart
When	Plant in autumn. Plant: from your first autumn frost to 6 weeks after. Work out your dates.
Pets	Not on the ASPCA list: treat as unsafe to chew

About Crown imperial

A tall spring fritillary with a ring of bells under a tuft of leaves. The big bulb is open-scaled and smells musky.

Depth and spacing

Typical range: 15-20 cm deep and 30 cm apart. A general rule is to plant at two to three times the height of the bulb; check the label for your variety. The drawing is to scale for 17.5 cm deep and 30 cm apart (the size of the organ is illustrative); try your own measurements.

When to plant

Plant in autumn. Plant: from your first autumn frost to 6 weeks after. These are rules of thumb for the northern hemisphere. Enter your frost dates for real dates.

Dividing and propagating

Offsets form slowly; lift after the foliage dies back and separate in late summer, replanting promptly.

Lifting and storing

Plant the bulb on its side if drainage is poor to stop water collecting in the hollow crown. Plant promptly after purchase.

Not on the ASPCA list

The ASPCA plant list has no entry we could match to this plant, so we cannot say it is safe. Keep pets from chewing it and digging up the bulb, and ask your vet if in doubt. Search the ASPCA list.